


Love Makes a Family

by cmiller, mayhemprincess



Category: Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: Epic Mills Family feelings, F/F, F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2013-09-14
Updated: 2013-10-20
Packaged: 2017-12-26 12:50:59
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 9
Words: 49,157
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/966127
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/cmiller/pseuds/cmiller, https://archiveofourown.org/users/mayhemprincess/pseuds/mayhemprincess
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Love doesn't know blood. Who is your real family? The one you are born into? Or the one your heart chooses for you? The return of a lost daughter may bridge gaps in a broken family, but only if she can come to terms with everything that has happened to her in the years she had been gone. Will family come together and fix what was broken? Or will old wounds have festered too long?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> AN: I really hate the unintentional message of blood trumps adoption, the show keeps sending. And well my two favorite TV characters need family to love them, why not each other? So I had this idea and several REALLY long conversations with Cmiller13 became this… I hope you all like it! Oh and Cmiller you are an awesome person...or was it magical creature? ^_^

_"No one will remember?"_

_"No one will remember…if you are willing to pay the price, of course…"_

_"And she will not be a problem for me in the future?"_

_"She won't be. She'll never want anything from you, dearie."_

_"Good…take her."_

-

She felt odd.

She tried to blink, but nothing changed. The world around her seemed to move in slow motion. She could see the scoobs helping the injured, along with some of the girls, slayers; she reminded herself, who came out of the battle more or less in one piece.

She had been trying to keep the principal awake, but out of nowhere a strange feeling invaded her. She was sure she heard something snap. Then the world stopped for a second, only to resume at a much slower pace. She knew something was wrong, but for some reason she couldn't bring herself to move, let alone ask if anyone felt the same.

Judging by the look on Willow's face, as she tried to get her attention, and the suspicious look Buffy was throwing her way... She was the only one acting weird. But soon they, along with the bus became a blur…

…why was everything so blurry?

"Faith!"

"What's wrong with her!?"

"I don't know! She was just standing there…"

"Is she breathing?"

"Don't touch her! …She's covered in magic."

Images assaulted her. She was barely able to understand what she was seeing; before they were no longer images…they were her reality. She was living them.

-

_She hides in the closet, shaking. She bites her fist in an attempt to muffle her cries. The sound of footsteps nearby make impossible to keep quiet._

_The door opens violently._

_"There you are you little bitch!"_

_Mama drags her out, by the hair. "Why the fuck were you hiding!? You made me waste time looking for you! Shut your trap, you are going to spend some time with Mike here."_

_She kicks._

_She screams._

_She cries._

_She begs her mama not to let him touch her again…but mama has to pay for her booze somehow._

_She hides under the bed now. Mama is angry. Mike left her and won't give her booze. Mama says it's her fault…she wasn't a good lay. Mike didn't like her to cry. She always tries to stay quiet but it hurts too much._

_Like mama's boot on her side._

_She's older now. Knows how to do what her mom's boyfriends want...if she does what they want, they don't hurt her too much. So she pretends to love it._

_She hurts all over. She is bleeding. This one likes to hurt her. Her bitch of a mother doesn't care. She's too busy preparing her needle. She doesn't know why it was more important than her. She still doesn't know why she was never enough…_

_…but that's not…that's not right._

_She remembers being good enough._

_She's younger again, and Daddy won't wake up. The evil men hurt him, like they hurt her cousins. They destroyed daddy's house, they made everyone sleep…she can't say the other word. They want to hurt her too, not like daddy, but like they hurt her aunt._

_She doesn't want to leave daddy, but she doesn't want to sleep, she doesn't want to die. So she runs._

_They grab her. She screams…_

_Then SHE'S here and THEY scream._

_She's beautiful and brave and strong._

_She brought men with her, but they are not evil like the others. They fight the evil men. They win. They smile at her. Their smiles are not scary._

_Daddy doesn't wake up, but the pretty lady says she is her mommy. She's sorry she couldn't save daddy, but she's going to protect her from now on. Her new mommy's smile makes her feel happy._

_She's in a new place now…there aren't monsters in the forest and her new bed is really soft. She likes it here. It's warm and happy and mommy bakes pie, all the time. She loves mommy's apple pie._

_Mommy is busy sometimes. She's the leader of the town, so she takes care of everyone. When she's doing that, she lets her stay with Granny. Granny's pancakes are great! Her granddaughter is beautiful like mommy, and she always gives her extra ice cream._

_He comes after a while._

_Mommy didn't want her to be lonely._

_He's tiny and kind of ugly, but she likes him anyway. She makes sounds and he laughs. She loves to help mommy take care of him. She's a big sister now. She's all grown up._

_He can walk now. He prefers climbing though. Like a little monkey._

_The name sticks._

_They play. They laugh; they make their own Halloween costumes. She reads him comics before bed. She helps mom make dinner. They stop the monkey from climbing the fridge, and the apple tree, and the house once._

_She burns breakfast again. Suggests they go to Granny's. Mom teases her. She knows why she spends so much time at the diner._

_Monkey had a new challenge. Her mom's bookshelves._

_It's too high, he slips. Her mom sees him first, she is right behind her._

_She runs. She catches him. They don't know how. She was too far._

_Monkey swears she's a superhero. He's going to be her sidekick._

_Mom worries. She looks at her concerned._

_It's not long before mom tells her._

_It's hard to believe…but she still remembers the monsters in the forest. And how she was always nine until monkey came. She wonders why she only realizes that now._

_But she's old enough now, to understand what the look in her mom's face is. Old enough to recognize the pain in her eyes. She hates what her mom had to go through. She loves her. She'll always be there for her._

_Mom's at work this morning._

_She needs to clear her head._

_She leaves town. It's not the first time; she'll be back in a few hours. Mom will never find out. It'll give her a chance to buy mom's birthday present…_

_She's in Portland. There's a beautiful necklace in this store. It has an apple tree. It's perfect for her mom. There's a red wolf too…maybe she should get it fo-_

_They grab her from behind. She fights back, but they are too many of them._

_When she wakes up, she can't move. She's chained to a wall. She doesn't see them except when they bring her food. She screams at them, refuses to eat, so they hit her, call her names._

_They sound British._

_It's been days. Mom must be worried. She asks what they want, but only gets slapped for her effort. She's sure it's been a week already, and God, mom must think she left her. She needs to escape, call home._

_She doesn't get a chance._

_She hears their voices, they are arguing._

_"Maybe we should wait. After we are done here we can find some girls-"_

_"We can't leave until the spell is ready; I'm not going to wait another sodding week. She won't remember… besides the spell will be more effective if she's broken. She won't have strength to fight it, like the last one."_

_When she sees them again they don't bring food. They leer at her, beat her, cut her, burn her…then they start undressing._

_The images move faster now._

_She tries to fight, but she can barely move. Her ribs hurt and she has trouble breathing, but they don't stop. They laugh when she begs, when she calls for her mom. They just make it hurt more. They hit her. They touch her. They break her. She bleeds. She screams. They chant._

_She forgets._

-

Faith could hear voices calling her name, but the throbbing in her head made thinking really hard. Maybe her mom had Advil or something. Faith really hoped this meant she could skip school today…

She opened her eyes. Something was wrong. This wasn't her room. For the life of her she couldn't remember how she got here. The room was familiar, though. She was sure she had been here before…maybe not long ago?

There were two girls looking at her funny, like they couldn't understand why she was awake. They seemed familiar too, and Faith kept trying to remember their names…

The Dark haired one's name was Dusk?...no Dawn. And… that made the redhead Willow!

Yes, she remembered them…but they were distant. Unclear.

There were new memories too. New thoughts in her head. Or were they old? They seemed more real…

The walls of the room closed in on her.

She had to get out of this place. Faith staggered out of the room ignoring the calls from the two behind her.

Faith didn't know what was real anymore. The people in front of her? Pain? A heartless mother? Love…a loving mother, a little brother, a crush…friends? Teachers? A dog?

She entered the lobby of…Angel's Hotel? She'd been here a few days ago, but somehow it feels like the first time.

This was insane. She should go home.

Did she have a home?

"Faith, you are awake?" Asked a masculine voice to her left…British…

Then it all snapped into place.

"…Watchers."

She remembered now! They kidnapped her. The fucking watchers, kidnapped her! They hurt her; they kept her from her family…

Oh God, no…her mom probably thought she hated her! That Faith left her. She'd just told her a huge secret. Faith had seen the fear, the pain in her eyes. She'd been afraid Faith would hate her.

And then she went and got herself kidnapped, the very next day!

It had been years…God, it had been years…

It was their fault…they did this to her. They turned her into this! They stole her memories, filled her with never ending memories of pain! They didn't want her to trust anyone… but her watcher…

But then her watcher died…

Glaring, she marched in the watcher's direction.

A beautiful dark haired woman entered her house. It was empty, dead. As it had been for years now. Devoid of laughter, no children running, no happiness. Not since she…disappeared? Kidnapped? Left? The woman ascended the stairs and into a hallway believing it was the last one. For days, now, she had spent her nights clutching her son's pillow…

Tonight her feet led her to a different room.

It was just like its owner left it, years ago. There were pictures on the desk. One in particular made her heart clench… A teenaged girl and a young boy, dressed in matching superhero costumes, their arms around a woman wearing a beautiful blue dress…their damsel in distress…

She wondered if things would have been different, had she not said anything. Had she kept quiet…

Would she be happy with her family or…was she destined to lose her children all along? Was that the price she had to pay for the curse?

She wished she could take those words back…but she scoffed because just like always, her wishes went unheard.  
-

_"Mom…I don't understand…what are you saying?"_

-  
All the others had frozen as they watched as the Dark Slayer moved with purpose towards the older Watcher.

That conversation kept replaying in Faiths head, as her fist made contact with Giles' face. The force of the hit sent him crashing into the floor. He was lucky she wanted him conscious.

All around her, slayers and scoobies exploded into action, ready to stop the psycho slayer, she was sure. But her eyes never left him.

"Did you know!?"

"Faith, I don't unders-"

"Did you know what the council did to me!?"

-

_"I'm the Evil Queen…"_


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Faith and co. arrive to Storybrooke, but fear and doubts might get in the way.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Lots of flashbacks on this one. And no family reunion yet *pouts* But don't worry the Mills family WILL be reunited soon.

The car had just passed over another county line, its passengers were silent. The two in front kept glancing back in worry at their friend. Angel and Lorne shared a concerned look as Faith sat in the back watching as the scenery goes by. She hadn’t said much since they had taken her away from the hotel. They barely had time to process what had happened.

-

_When the L.A crew received news from the Sunnydale survivors, they had immediately started making preparations to house them at the hotel for a while. They were all especially worried about Faith’s condition._

_Angel had paced the lobby over and over. His biggest worry while waiting for news from Sunnydale had been that something would happen, to two of the people he loved most. They still didn’t know if Cordy would recover from all she went through because of Jasmine. Angel knew losing Buffy and Faith would have killed him. When Willow called and said they were on their way to L.A and both slayers were alive he had been so relieved._

_But it didn’t last._

_From what Willow told them, Faith had started acting odd, before suddenly collapsing. They couldn’t find any serious wounds on her, but Willow could feel an impressive amount of magic covering the other girl._

_“It’s coming out of her body…it kinda looks like chains, like they were hidden inside her body and they started coming to the surface. And some of them are snapping…I’m not sure what they did yet. But whatever spell she was under is breaking.” Willow said over the phone._

_“I can feel the slayer in her, just like Buffy’s it seems to be stronger now than before I used the Scythe. I think all the new power is breaking a spell that had been cast on her before, and from the way she’s acting… I’m guessing she’s trapped in her mind right now.”_

_Through their deal with Wolfram & Hart they had managed to get Faith’s case reviewed and the Judge decided that since she had been a minor and the Prosecution had kept her real age a secret as well as the psychological reports of her extreme case of PTSD at the time of her confession, and the lack of evidence in the murders of Allan Finch and Lester Worth, Faith was free. Angel wasn’t sure how W&F dealt with the fact that Faith had escaped, but since the Judge and everyone apparently thought Faith had been at her trial…magic seemed like the obvious conclusion. It was Wolfram & Hart after all. But after that call from Willow, Angel worried Faith wouldn’t have the chance to enjoy her new freedom. _

_What had happened after Faith finally woke up from a nightmare filled magical sleep… was probably the most unexpected thing that could have happened. After days of fever, screams of pain, and desperate cries for help. Faith woke up…but she wasn’t the same person they knew. She was so broken and angry. The watchers had taken her life from her…and gave her a hellish replacement._

_Once they calmed Faith down a bit, Gunn gave Angel a file Wesley claimed contained more details about Faith. The file said she’d been located somewhere in the state of Maine, but they had been unable to pinpoint her exact location for months until she appeared in Portland. She had been considered too dangerous and unstable and had to be “retrained” or terminated. It was disgusting the lies on that file. As was the fact that Faith had only been fifteen when subjected to the ‘procedure’._

_It had taken all of Angel’s self-control to stop himself from killing Wesley. But he supposed Giles and the scoobies were dealing with him right now. God knew what was going on back at the hotel, but his main concern right now was Faith._

 

-

Angel thought it was a good thing that the Council got blown up, because he felt bound to do some real damage to any watcher that crossed his path. Even Giles wasn’t in the clear any more. What was even more disconcerting was that Angel could feel Angelus agree with every dark thought he was having directed at the Watchers...Wesley in particular. He found that his demon didn’t even have to contribute any darker thoughts. And as unsettling as it was to agree with his demon, well Faith was his family.

Lorne on the other hand was saddened to have seen such a bright and vibrant girl that Faith was, be turned dark while still being vibrant… but Lehane was dark in a way that the real Faith was not. All because of the the ambition and lust of a group of disgusting old men, who claimed they fought for the side of good. Who knew how many Slayers went through something like this before… Lorne was a pacifist demon, but even he wouldn’t have minded taking the Watcher’s Council to task. Shame they were dead now.

Faith stared out the window as the car drew closer and closer to her family and her hometown. She couldn’t stop herself from thinking about how much Giles and Wesley screwed up. Just thinking about the conversation, after her memories returned and started to settle back into place, made her clench her fists in anger, Faith let her mind drift back to the events after her memory returned that lead to her friends taking her home.

-

_Buffy cried out, “What the Hell Faith?!? I knew you didn’t change.” As she and her friends moved over to help the older watcher up. What no one saw as they were either focused on Faith or Giles was Wesley tense at the Dark Slayer’s question._

_Faith sneered at Buffy as she again only addressed Giles, “Did you know? Did you know that they erased my memories? That they made me forget my mom?!? That they made me believe…” She was too angry to finish the thought as she shook in rage. Faith felt Angel step up behind her and she calmed down enough not to lunge at the older watcher just yet._

_Giles pulled his glasses off while placating his Slayer before responding to Faith, “Faith…I-I didn’t know. I believed that the practice had been dropped centuries ago.”_

_At hearing this, the Scoobies looked towards the man they all looked up to. Buffy asked, “Dropped? They did that to slayers!?”  
Giles winced at the angry tone in Buffy’s voice. “It used to be the standard practice when older non-council raised potentials or Slayer were found. But it was supposed to have been dropped in the mid 1800’s.” He said his eyes pleading with Buffy to understand…he didn’t dare look at Faith right now._

_Buffy narrowed her eyes at him suspiciously. “Giles did you know something? Because you aren’t coming off as too surprised that Faith’s lashing out at you.”_

_“I didn’t know that’s what the council did… but I did suspect that something wasn’t quite right when I met Faith…I-I thought she might have been mentally unstable, maybe because of Post-traumatic stress Disorder as a consequence of her watcher’s death…” Giles looked towards the young Slayer that he had failed in every way possible back then, “Faith, I didn’t know. But from my understanding of the technique is that the girls it’s used on need to be broken before it works.”_

_Faith looked at him in anger. “Believe me… I remember. They knew just how to break me…they-”_

_Before Faith could finish her reply, a Texas twang asked, “Wesley? Why do you look like that? Oh God...please tell me you didn’t know…” Fred looked at the man she had feelings for before asking, “Did you know what happened to Faith, Wes?”_

_Everyone in the lobby looked at the younger of the two watchers and saw that Wesley looked… guilty, and ashamed as he avoided everyone’s eye. Faith gritted her teeth as her eyes locked with those of Wes._

_Wesley dropped his eyes as he replied, “Yes, I did know.”_

_Faith lunged but she didn’t get that far before Angel’s arms caught her around the waist. As much as the Souled Vampire didn’t want to hold her back, he knew that only Wes could answer this, so Angel asked, “Why?”_

_Wesley rolled his shoulders back as he replied, “It was believed that she was dangerous and unstable…”_

_Faith fought even harder against Angel as she interrupted, “I was fucking buying my mom a birthday present, when they took me! How the Fuck is that being Dangerous?!?! You know they created the damn unstable and dangerous monster! Where do you think I learned the five basic torture groups Wes!?”_

_Wesley flinched at the reminder of his torture…and for the first time he thought he might have deserved it.  
Faith sneered at him. “Yes, Wes. They used them on me, before they got bored and spent the rest of the week raping me!!!”_

_Every other person in the room froze at the last sentence._

_Angel tried to calm Faith down but she wasn’t listening to him and he felt helpless to do anything for his little sister, his protégée. Just then, Lorne stepped into Faith’s field of view and cupped her face in his hands and hummed softly. The sound penetrated through Faith’s rage as she sagged back into Angel, the vampire looked gratefully at Lorne. The green demon spoke gently to Faith, “Hey Sweetpea, why don’t you give us a little ditty, hmm?”_

_Faith looked at the kind green face in front of her. Now, normally she wouldn’t trust anyone besides Angel in this room and the only other people she would usually trust were across country, but Lorne had sat with her while it was believed that she would die saving Angel’s soul. She thought for a moment before thinking of the perfect little song, **“You weren’t there, you never were, you want it all but that’s not fair,”** Faith stepped out of being sandwiched between Angel and Lorne as she started to stalk towards the watchers, **“I gave you life, I gave my all, you weren’t there, you let me fall!”**_

_After Faith ended there, Lorne tried to smile at her but it came out a grimace, “Faithy-kins you have amazing pipes. And Watchers squared, you are in deep shit!” Once he had finished saying that Lorne shot Angel a look as the two moved over to Faith, who had started to mutter and shake._

_Both heard her say something “I have to go home…mom and monkey…oh God my mom’s going to hate me, she’ll think I left her… I didn’t leave her! I was going to come back…just wanted to clear my head I… I’m different now…I’m disgusting she won’t want me anymore…I don’t even have any clothes of my own… how will she…”_

_Lorne wrapped her in his arms as Angel spoke softly, “Faith, we will take you to get you some clothes, Okay? Anything you want, so you can go see her.” He tried again when Faith kept muttering, “Faith! You mom will be happy to see you… Okay, we will go get you some new clothes and get you home okay?”_

_Faith nodded as the two lead her out. None of the three looked back to see the others reactions._

-

Unaware of the car driving towards town, Regina had spent last night in her daughter’s room. This morning she had woken up to find herself cradling the picture to her chest. She’d looked through some photo albums to find a wallet sized picture of her two children. In the picture, a fourteen year old Faith had her five year old brother resting on her hip as both flexed for the camera, there were two huge stuffed animals bracketing them with the mallet game in the background. The picture was taken by Ruby after the waitress had taken them to the carnival, Regina herself would have taken them but she had a meeting that she couldn’t get out of that day. Regina flipped it over to see a message from Ruby saying, “Quite the muscles, your kids have there, Madam Mayor.”

It was around midday when Regina headed to the pier. She looked over towards where the carnival had been set-up six years ago. It was as she was coming out of her thoughts that she saw Dr. Hopper. She hastily put the picture back in her pocket, unaware that it fell to the ground, as she moved with purpose towards the therapist. Regina and Archie got into an argument.

Ruby was on her run when a piece of paper fluttered to her feet. Bending down to pick it up, she found her handwriting staring at her. Ruby cautiously flipped it to the front and found a picture she took years ago on this very pier. Looking around, Ruby found Regina talking with Archie. Sighing sadly at the memories, she headed over there to return the picture but upon hearing the argument, Ruby pocketed the picture and intervened, thinking she could give the picture to Henry instead.  
Upon returning home, Regina opened the locked cabinet that housed both her mother’s spell book and the PI’s files on what happened to Faith. She couldn’t help thinking back to how everything dissolved after Faith left.

-

_Regina had been on the phone with Faith’s school, the Sheriff, Henry’s teacher and even Mother Superior asking each and every one of them if they had seen Faith. After a day or so, she asked Gold for help._

_Mr. Gold asked as he entered her office, “How can I help you today, Madam Mayor?”_

_Regina looked over from her place by the mantel, “Mr. Gold, I need you to help me employ a good PI. I need to find Faith.”_

_“It will cost you dearie.”_

_“I am aware but I can’t stand not knowing where my daughter is. And Henry misses his big sister, Faith is his hero.”_

_Henry had been dropped off at his mom’s office by Sister Astrid. He snuck to eavesdrop once he heard both his and his sister’s names being mentioned. Henry was happy yet sad. He was sad that his hero wasn’t home yet but he was happy to hear that his mommy was trying to bring Faith home._

_Just then the little boy heard Mr. Gold say, “Why not adopt another child? You did it once when your daughter was nine. Otherwise young Henry wouldn’t be here would he?”_

_Henry burst in, “Mommy! What’s adopted mean?”_

_Regina turned to her son but not before glaring at Gold who said, “I will get you that information on the PI by tomorrow, Madam Mayor.”_

_Regina gave a Politian smile, “Thank you Mr. Gold.” After the imp left, she turned to Henry, “Monkey, adopted means that you don’t share the same blood as Faith and I do.”_

_Henry tears up a little asking, “Does that mean you and Faith aren’t my mommy and sissy?”_

_Regina kneeled down to be eyelevel with him, “Oh Henry, Faith is your big sister because she chooses to be just like I chose to be your mommy. I want and love you, Henry. And so does Faith.”_

_Henry still had tears in his eyes as he nodded his head, but as Regina scooped him up into her arms Henry felt like this changed everything he ever knew._

-

The car crossed over the town line and came to a stop at the gas station. Lorne pulled the collar of his trench coat up higher as he tilted the hat on his head down to shadow his face and hide his horns. Angel got out and opened the door for Faith. As she also climbed out she spoke for the first time since getting in the car, “Hey Fang, I’m going to walk around town a little. You know… get reacquainted with the east coast small town.”

Before either man could speak, Faith took off with her head down. As she walked, Faith fought with the doubts that had been plaguing her ever since her memories came back. For years now she had been someone completely different to the girl her mother raised. She had become a criminal…a murderer. She had been on her knees for strange men in exchange for food, a place to stay…because that’s what her memories told her she’d always done to survive after she escaped her mother…but it had been a lie. Her real mother raised her to be good…and now she was anything but that. She sighed as she moved down the sidewalk. She couldn’t shake that nagging feeling that her mom would hate her for leaving. She thought _‘after all, mom told me she was the Evil Queen’._ Faith knew her disappearance would make it easy for her mom to give in to the pain and sadness that she always felt.

Faith could feel her doubts start to get the better of her. A part of her felt the need to run. To go back to L.A and forget again. But no, she couldn’t do that. The thought of never seeing her family again was just as terrifying as her mom and her monkey, hating her. She needed a distraction of some kind. She knew she had no hope of finding something to slay, as she doubted the supernatural world had found its way to Storybrooke… other than Angel and Lorne anyway. _‘What I wouldn’t give for something to off or someone to fu-‘_ Faith’s train of thought was cut short as she collided with someone else. Looking up, Faith found herself looking into crystal blue eyes that came with a smarmy smirk. She then took in the entire man before her. Faith gave a responding smirk as she grabbed his black leather collar and pulled him into a back alley saying, 

“You’ll do.”


	3. Chapter 3

The next morning found Ruby watching Emma and Henry as the two had breakfast. She pulled the picture out of her pocket just as Granny stepped up behind her. Granny looked over Ruby’s shoulder to see a picture of the Mills children from years ago, “Ruby, where did you get that?”

 

Ruby turned her head answering softly, “Regina dropped it by accident but before I could give it back to her. She and Archie got into an argument.”

 

“Well, what are you going to do with it?”

 

She looked over at the booth, “Give it to Henry. I don’t know if he had time to get a picture of him and his sister before staying with David.”

 

Staring at the picture for a few more seconds, Ruby let out a sigh. She still missed that girl. Young and crushing as she was, she’d treated Ruby better than any other of her ‘suitors’. Ruby walked over just Emma and Henry got up to leave. Calling after them, “Henry, I have something to give you.”

 

Henry turned around and looked up at the waitress, “What is it?” The boy took the picture from Ruby as his breath hitched. Henry ran his thumb over the teenage girl’s face, “How did you get this?” He hadn’t seen this picture in years. He’d sometimes sneak into her room when he was sad, but it had been a long time since he went through the photo albums.

 

Ruby sighed, “Your mom dropped it at the pier yesterday just before she and Archie started arguing.” She said, smiling sadly at him.

 

Emma looked down at the picture before asking, “Who is that?”

 

Henry looked up at his ma as he answered, “My sister.” After saying that, Henry didn’t elaborate as he headed out the door. Just then Pongo came up barking like crazy.

-

Unknown to those outside Granny’s diner, Faith was walking with her head down back towards the gas station on the other side of the road. She walked past not thinking about Archie’s dog, which she could hear barking. Her mind on a conversation she, or was it Lehane? Had with Angel, one time he visited in prison.

He had apologized for having skipped on the last couple of visits. Shared what had kept him. It wasn’t a pretty story either.

He had slipped.

He’d let darkness overwhelm him again. He called it proof that the road is long and the journey was a dangerous and painful one. At times you’d feel like you were almost there, but would trip and have a hard time getting back up. But if you really wanted to redeem yourself, if you truly regretted your past, the only way you could go was forward. Seeing her mentor like that made him more real to Faith. No longer was he this perfect symbol of redemption, but just as screwed up as the rest of the world. And for some reason that made him more real, it made her own journey less impossible because she wasn’t alone anymore.

When she asked how he got back on track, he said he’d had an epiphany.

And he was…well vampires can’t exactly blush, but he had that look and if there was one subject other than slaying that Faith just understood…it was sex. So she asked if he’d gotten laid. His reaction said all she needed to know before she burst out laughing. Then they had to reassure the guards everything was fine, she was just happy her friend finally got some. The look on Angel’s face had been priceless when the guards congratulated him.

“Well hello cupcake, did your walk about help?” Lorne looked up to see her walking in his direction.

Faith smiled, “Yeah,” looking around, “where’s the big guy?”

“Its mid morning doll face,” Lorne teased, “Angel-cakes had to hide in that abandoned building or risk flame boiling.”

The two entered the old recreation building. Faith remembered playing here when she was younger, she guessed it had been abandoned in the five years she’d been gone. They found the third member of their group sitting on a dusty old couch reading the copy of Faith’s file he had made. 

Looking up Angel asked, “Feel better?”

 

Faith huffed out a laugh, she should have known. “You knew I wasn’t ready to see them yet, didn’t you?”

Angel raised his eyebrow, “I guessed so, yes. It seemed like your fabricated memories were still too close to the surface for you to feel comfortable in seeing either of them. Plus, you were behaving a bit like when we first started working on…putting you on the path.” Like after her breakdown in Angel’s arms in that alley. “I didn’t think a few hours long plane ride followed by the drive would be enough time to get over those thoughts.”

“You doubted yourself. Your worth. That was something we had managed to change a bit, Faith. And something impossible if this file is right.” He said signaling to the file in his hand.

Faith frowned. “What do you mean? What else did they do?” She was almost afraid to find out. Wasn’t it enough with…with changing her memories, making her forget her family? She did not want to think about what they did before they got to that part.

Angel sighed. “The memory spell wasn’t all the ‘procedure’ entailed. They placed several magical compulsions that would force you to behave in certain ways. For one thing, you’d feel worthless, except when slaying. You were incapable of trusting people. Only your watcher. Or any watcher who knew the trigger words on the spell.” It pissed Angel off, what the watcher’s council was capable of to get those girls under their thumb. If he came face to face with any surviving watcher there would be hell to pay. He wasn’t sure he was ready to see Giles or Wesley either. They especially because the person they hurt was the one he cared about.

Faith didn’t know what to say. Did that mean that it wasn’t just the memories that made her go bat shit crazy? The fucking watchers ‘encouraged’ her to distrust EVERYONE…but then what about? “Trigger words?”

Angel nodded. “A specific phrase linked to the spell that would have shifted your trust to a new watcher. It’s different for every girl. Yours was about-“

“Spartans…”

Angel looked surprised. How could she know the words…unless, “Yes, Faith how do you know? Did someone…? Wesley? His notes said they weren’t given to him. He only knew they had to do with Sparta.”

Faith shook her head in denial. “Not Wes. Mrs. Post. She… she went to my motel room. Asked me if I knew who the Spartans were. Then gave a speech about how they were true fighters. I don’t really remember all of it.” She sighed. This was all fucked up. But right now she had more important things to worry about. “Let’s just talk about this later, okay? I need to clean up and go find my mom.”

“Okay…uh Faith. Are you alright? Uh…you smell…”

Faith raised her hands to keep him from continuing. “Whoa, hold on big guy. First of all. Ew…” It always freaked her out how vamps were capable of smelling these things. Her own sense of smell was enhanced, but she could turn it off…or at least ignore smells unless she was consciously sniffing the air. “Second of all. I had an epiphany, surely you can understand that? And like NOT want to talk about it.”

And there it was. She kind of loved seeing Angel get all embarrassed. Shame he couldn’t blush.

“Right. Epiphany, I get it. I…ah… checked the pipes there’s still water running. I’ll just go read… over there.” He said awkwardly, and then moved to another couch in a corner.

Lorne had watched the interplay and had to wonder what ‘Epiphany’ was a code word for. At least the two were off the topic of the watchers for the moment. And maybe while Faithy-kins was meeting the family again after so long he or Angel could call back to LA about any of those extra files mentioned in Faith’s.

Faith let out a laugh as she walked towards her bag that Angel had brought in for her. With that, she headed to the women’s locker room to shower and clean up enough to finally see her mother and monkey.

-

This day had found Emma more confused than ever, since the curse broke. Someone had killed Archie. Archie! Who would want to kill someone as nice as Archie? Ruby saw Regina enter his office, but with everything to lose by doing so, why would the former Mayor do it? Add to that Emma just this morning found out that Regina had another child that she raised right alongside Henry. What had happened to her? Was she dead or something? Oh…maybe that’s why no one had mentioned her before.

After calling Regina in to interview her, Emma sat and waited. The sheriff decided to see if Mar- Snow knew something about Henry’s older sister. It was obvious that Henry didn’t want to talk about it, or he would have said something, when Emma asked about the girl in the picture. But she wanted to know more. Henry hadn’t talk at all on the way to school. He seemed sad. “Mary Margret, did you know that Regina had a teenage daughter when Henry was growing up?”

Snow looked at her daughter thinking over her Storybrooke memories, “Yes, Faith Mills. She was a bright, mischievous, intelligent young woman. Henry adored her, she was his hero and she called him her ‘Monkey’. She was a great sister. She always spent time with him even when her classmates teased her about it. But about 5ish years ago she disappeared. I think that was around the time Regina became stricter with Henry.”

David entered interrupting saying, “Regina’s here. Snow, you will be in the observation room while Emma and I interroga-“

Emma cut in, “Talk with her. We have no proof that she did or didn’t do it. This is just a conversation.”

David cleared his throat and nodded his head. With that the three went about finding out if the former queen knew what two of them suspected she did.

-

It had been a half an hour after the Charming family sheriff department let her go home, Regina found herself sitting in her home office looking over the PI’s files with a glass of cider again but her mind wouldn’t stop thinking about what she learned while at the Sheriff Station.

Someone had killed Archie, now normally Regina wasn’t one to feel remorse after arguing with a person but she did understand that she had wanted to apologize to Archie for blowing up. Regina didn’t agree with the Cricket about sharing the fact she was seeing him with Emma. It just was so hard for Regina to trust someone, and she had felt betrayed…again. She’d never dealt well with betrayal. Still, she could understand trying to give someone perspective on what had happened here in Storybrooke while the Savior was over in the Enchanted Forest.

Which brought her to the other thing that had been plaguing her from the time in Interrogation; Regina had heard Emma’s speech to Charming and Snow in defense of her. She had worked really hard to keep from showing her surprise at the impassionate speech the Savior made about believing her. Regina couldn’t really remember the last person who had been in her corner. 

Most people just left her, in some fashion. Daniel was killed, Mother was banished, Daddy was killed, Faith ran away, and Henry turned his back on her. Regina was trying not to get her hopes up that Emma may stay there, she really was just waiting for the other shoe to drop. Coming out of her thoughts Regina found it to be a quarter to two.

Just then there was a knock at the door, Regina put the files on her desk and went to answer it to find the Charming family on her doorstep, “Come to apologize have you?”

Emma’s voice was barely restrained as she said, “I saw you do it.”

The one passing thought that Regina had during the entire confrontation was, ‘well that didn’t take very long.’

-

Looking at the clock, Faith found it close to two. She’d decided to surprise her mom and monkey in a one-two punch at the bus stop. She guessed he would be getting there from school. With that thought, Faith headed out of the building with a wave and a comment, “Fang why don’t you and Lorne rent a room at Granny’s B&B? Uh…you might want to cover your face Lorne.” Both nodded their understanding as they waved her off.

They really hoped things went well for her. She really needed that after everything she’d been through.

It took about three minutes to get to the bus stop. Faith scanned the area nervously looking for her mother. She found Henry walking over to a bench with a blonde woman she didn’t know. There was a couple standing a few feet away, but they were obviously trying to give the boy and the blonde privacy. Well, it’s not like she knew the blonde and hugging her monkey took precedence over whatever they were talking about. So Faith sauntered over to them, ignoring the startled looks she got from the couple and stealthily moved behind the boy, tapping the 11 year old on one shoulder before dancing to the other side of him.

Henry looked over towards the tap before glancing as fast as he could back around. The young boy hadn’t had any one pull that trick on him since his sister disappeared years ago. So looking up into warm playful brown eyes, Henry wished like crazy the woman before him was his sister.

Faith grinned down at him, her eyes shinny with tears and said. “Gotcha, Monkey!”

Henry couldn’t believe it. She had been on his mind all day. So much that he hadn’t paid attention at school today. But only two people had ever called him Monkey before. His mom and…

“Faith!” He exclaimed laughing and launched himself at her.

On the side Emma watched the inter play with a mild confusion. She’d never seen Henry quite so happy…

“You’re here! You’re back!” Henry exclaimed over and over as Faith spun him in a circle. She was glad for her slayer strength…God. He’d gotten so big. The thought of all she missed made it harder for Faith to keep herself from crying.

Unknown to the small group they were being watched by Regina. The former Queen watched with sadness mixed as Emma sat Henry down…surely to tell him lies about Regina. Suddenly she saw a stranger approach them… She glared with irritation at this new stranger. It seemed every time someone new came to Storybrooke it meant something would go wrong for Regina…as if things weren’t bad enough right now. Her thoughts were interrupted when she heard from down the street Henry’s cry of, “Faith!”

Did he say? No… it couldn’t be… Faith left! She…oh Gods…dark hair the right body type. She spun Henry in a circle just like Faith used to. Right at that moment, it didn’t matter that they thought she’d killed the Cricket. It didn’t matter that Faith had left, it didn’t matter that she probably hated Regina. Her little girl was back. Uncaring about the Charmings, the savior or any others, Regina climbed out of her Benz and made a beeline towards her children. She called out, “Faith?!?”

Faith turned with the monkey in her arms to see her mom standing a foot away with a tear stained face. Faith gave a half laugh half sob of a huff, hugging her brother a little tighter as she said, “Hi mom.”

Those two words were all the prompting Regina needed to launch herself at her daughter, just like Henry had a few seconds ago, to wrap one of her arms around her daughter’s neck while the other wrapped around the boy still in Faith’s arms. Emma watched the scene with a slight discomfort as she didn’t want to intrude. God, she hadn’t seen Regina cry since Henry was in the hospital. But it wasn’t like this. She was desperately clinging to the younger woman and Henry as she sobbed. A part of Emma wanted do something, anything to stop her tears… but well as far as she knew Regina had murdered Archie.

Faith muttered into her mother’s hair, “I’m so sorry. I didn’t want to leave. I was going to come back. They just wouldn’t let me.” She said tightening her hold on her family a little more.

Regina kissed her daughters forehead and pulled away a little to look up into her daughter’s eyes asking, _‘She was going to come back? Does that mean she doesn’t…hate me?’_ Wait…They? Someone had kept her child from her? “What do you mean Faith?”

Faith cleared her throat as she just started to take in the three others that were relatively close. She needed to explain things, but she didn’t exactly want to share with strangers. “Maybe this conversation should be between the three of us back at home.”

It was then that Emma stepped in. She didn’t care who this woman was but she wasn’t going to let them take Henry, “Hold up, I’m not letting my kid, go with some stranger and a murderer.”

Henry turned to look at Emma asking, “What do you mean?”

Emma sighed, “That’s what I was about to tell you, Kid. I saw Regina kill Archie.”

Henry flinched away from Regina and closer to Faith asking his mom, “Why?!?”

Regina tried to turn away but not before Faith caught her arm.

Faith asked, trying to catch her mother’s eye. “Mom? Did you?”

Regina looked right into her daughter’s eyes before answering, “No. And I don’t know what the Sheriff thinks she saw but it wasn’t me.”

Faith believed her. It didn’t matter how long she’d been gone. How long she’d forgotten. She remembered now and she knew her mom. She wasn’t lying. Besides, it made no sense. Why would her mom kill Archie? Archie of all people. With that Faith kept a mark on the couple that flanked the blonde as she asked, “Okay, so how did you ‘see’ my mom kill Archie?” And who the hell was Blondie over there to make accusations. Why the hell did Henry immediately trust her word?

Emma replied, “With Pongo’s memory.” Once the words left her mouth the Sheriff couldn’t help but think they sounded stupid.

Faith sent Emma the same look Regina often did when she thought she was dealing with an idiot. “Okay, first of all. You used a dog’s memory as evidence!?” Yes, now Emma could see the resemblance. Only Regina had that particular tilt to her eyebrow…both sexy and insulting at the same time. “Next on the off chance that the memory wasn’t tampered with, magic can allow a person to change shape and take the form of another. But and here is the kicker, magic can mess with a person’s memory.”

Emma gave a half hearted retort, “Gold said that memory couldn’t be tampered with.” She said not really wanting to be right. She could feel the younger woman wasn’t lying…but could she trust her lie detection skills? She wasn’t sure anymore.

Regina sighed, “That Imp lied to you Ms. Swan. He himself has used memory modifications before.”

Faith gave a bitter bark of a laugh, “Oh honey, you are going to trust the man who is also known as the ‘Dark One’? But, you know what? That’s beside the point. I know that memories can be messed with because I spent the last 5 years thinking I was someone else and was made to completely forget about my mom and monkey.”

Henry and Regina both looked at her in shock and exclaimed. “WHAT!?!”

Faith blinked as the comment Emma made at the beginning of their conversation finally registered. She glared menacingly at Emma.

“…Wait, did you say… YOUR KID?!?”


	4. Chapter 4

For the next few moments the small group of six was silent as each processed what was going on. Henry was thinking about the fact that someone took his sister away from him and made her forget him. Regina herself was vibrating in anger at the thought that someone would mess with her daughter's memories. David and Snow were not sure what to make of Regina's daughter. Where Snow remembered having Faith in her class during the cursed years; David had no memory or reason to trust this woman. Emma found herself facing down a very pissed off Mills, this was something she was used to but something told her that Faith Mills was a little different than her mother.

Faith's mind was racing as she shifted her Monkey to her left side and stalked towards the blonde. As Faith moved towards Emma asking, "What do you mean, 'your kid'?" David pulled his gun and pointed it at the advancing woman.

Snow and Regina froze wondering what was going through Charming's mind by drawing his gun while Faith was holding Henry. Faith had seen the move out of the corner of her eye. Her hand shot up and gave a sharp twist as she dislodged the gun from the man's hold; the gun went off causing everyone to jump. The group looked down to see a dent in the sidewalk that showed no one was hurt. Unbeknown to Faith was that the Awakening amped up her powers, thus causing her, with the twist, to dislocate David's shoulder.

All their jaws dropped for different reasons. David's dropped from pain. Emma's and Snow's jaws dropped from Faith's reaction time. Regina's and Henry's jaws fell from David pulling the gun and it going off. All while Faith huffed out, "Huh? I might need to get that strength back under control."

Emma picked up the gun while glaring at David, "Really? David, what the hell were you thinking? She was holding Henry; he could have gotten hurt if she hadn't disarmed you." She then growled, "I'd suggest desk duty from now on. And you're definitely not carrying a firearm."

Faith had shrugged off her feat of strength as she turned back to Emma repeating, "What did you mean 'your kid'?"

Snow answered from her place holding David up with, "She's his mother."

Faith slowly raised her eyebrow, "No, I'm fairly certain that she's," pointing over her shoulder at Regina, "his mother."

Snow cleared her throat, "Emma's his birth mother." She said it as if it really mattered to Faith before adding, "So she's his real mother."

Faith gave a bark of laughter, "She popped him out… is that what you're telling me when you say real mother? But was she there for his first words, when he would prefer climbing rather than walking? Was she there to know what his favorite meal was or to sing him to sleep?" She watched as the pixie haired woman squirmed while the blonde didn't dispute any of what she was saying, "His real mother is the one that was there for him growing up. The one that taught him right from wrong, the one that kissed the scrapes, the one who taught him to ride a bike."

Emma listened as Faith made her point. Listening to the rant seeing Regina in tears at the unconditional defense and watching as Henry reached out for Regina's hand while still being held like a little kid by his sister really hammered home that Henry already had a family.

Snow spoke up, "She let him go to give him his best chance."

Emma spoke softly, before Faith could say anything else, "I didn't have a choice in giving him up," she looked at the small Mills family to make sure she had their attention before continuing, "It was either adoption where he would go to a loving family that I picked out, which had a single mother with a 9 year old daughter. Or he got lost in the system while I was serving the rest of my time in prison." Looking right into Faith's then Regina's eyes Emma added, "I loved him from the moment I knew I was pregnant with him but I knew there was no way that I could keep him. Adoption was the only way to ensure he didn't grow up like I did as another statistic in the system."

Henry listened as Emma talked, he had felt a little hurt when she started talking but as she continued he could hear that although she let him go she picked what was best for him. Regina also gave thought to what Miss Swan was saying and found that the Sheriff's choice was actually taken from her on whether or not to keep Henry, almost in the way that Regina own choice was taken from her on keeping her daughter.

Faith kept an impassive face throughout the blonde's speech. She had to admit that her false memories coincided with Emma's view of the foster care system but, "You know that doesn't mean you," gesturing to the three before her, "get to dismiss my mom's legal status as Monkey's mother. I can understand getting to know him but in my mind that doesn't make you his mother…" she turned to look at Henry as he tugged lightly on her collar. The two Mills children shared a silent conversation before Faith finished with, "yet."

Regina had been silent the entire time finally spoke up, "Sheriff Swan, why don't you join us? That way you can 'supervise' the visit with Henry, Faith gets to tell what happened to her to Henry and I and we are not discussing this in the middle of the street."

Emma cleared her throat, "Okay."

Faith nodded, "Alright Monkey down for a sec." She then moved over to David and Snow causing both Charmings to tense up, with a roll of her eyes Faith grabbed his shoulder and arm saying, "Relax, I'm just…" she jammed the shoulder back into place with a sharp move, "putting that back."

David's mouth fell open with a silent scream of pain. Henry cried out, "What did you do that for?"

Faith shrugged, "I did just what the Hospital would have done, Monkey."

Snow commented, "At least the hospital would have given him something for the pain."

Faith snorted, "No they wouldn't have. And by the way," looking at David with pure distaste, "You are an idiot!"

-

Back at the abandoned building, Lorne was setting up the laptop to call back to LA for a little tit for tat with that group. While Angel paced back and forth, Lorne huffed, "Hey Broodsome, sit down. Faithy is okay and I've almost have this…" the screen came up with Willow online, "Hey Witchy-wonder, where are the rest?"

Angel leaned over the back of the couch so that Willow could see him and vice versa. Willow waved, "Well Buffy, Gunn, and Xander went with Giles and Wes to the Watcher cache for the files. They should be…"

A voice of the side of the screen spoke, " _Hey Wills, you connected to Angel?_ " With that Buffy and Xander's faces found their way onto the screen, "Hi Angel, Lorne we got the flash drive," holding up a thumb drive "It holds all the information on every case the watchers used that spell on a girl. Even Faith's full file, with video and everything they had on her."

Lorne and Angel watched as Willow plugged in the drive. She spoke, "Well there we go, just have to bypass some encryptions…" The two in Storybrooke watched at horror crossed all three's faces from as they heard Dawn from the background, " _Oh my God!_ "

With that the connection was cut, leaving Angel and Lorne in the dark of what the Scoobies were viewing but the two had a relatively good idea of what was being viewed and both were not sure they wanted to open the attachment in the email.

-

Emma entered the house behind the three Mills. Once the door closed behind her she sighed in relief. It had been really hard to convince Snow and David to let her and Henry go to Regina's. They insisted it was too dangerous, as they still had no proof Regina was innocent. But then Henry asked Emma to use her superpower to find out if his mom and sister were telling the truth.

They were.

That was enough for Henry. But her parents didn't seem to trust Emma's power. And that kind of hurt, Emma thought even if she wasn't sure if she trusted it either. It seemed though, that Faith picked up on that doubt.

" _Has this power of yours ever failed you? Or are you letting other people's thoughts cloud your instincts?"_

For the first time since coming to Storybrooke, Emma stopped to think about that. And damn if the answer didn't irritate the crap out of her. Following her instincts had kept her alive for years as a Bails-bond person. She had trusted her instincts even in situations where there seemed to be no hope. She had only started to doubt her instincts since coming to this town…and whenever she did, it bit her in the ass. Yet she kept doing it.

She used to trust herself. But now she had the same doubts in her own abilities as everyone else, even her parents had. Not Henry though. He believed in her. Maybe it was time she did it too.

So when Mar-Snow and David kept insisting, Emma put her foot down. If they didn't want to trust her that was their problem, so she told them to go get David something for the pain. And she reminded David that they would be talking about his recklessness with a gun. Then she followed the Mills to their house.

She'd been surprised that through all of that Regina barely spoke during the confrontation. It didn't seem like her, but Emma guessed she was overwhelmed by having her daughter back, and so fiercely defending her. And her daughter seemed to have everything under control when David went gun crazy. To be honest what had Emma most curious was how fast the young woman moved. She obviously had fighting experience, but the speed was amazing.

"So…I guess we should move to the living room…sit, definitely sit. And maybe get some alcohol? And get Henry a soda. We are going to need the energy." Faith rambled nervously.

This in turn scared Regina. She had a feeling there was a lot of painful revelations to go through tonight. From what Faith had revealed someone had taken her, altered her memories…but how? She'd thought magic didn't exist in Storybrooke until Rumple brought it back…but then again if she'd activated Jefferson's hat with an enchanted item…someone else could have…but who? Was it Gold? If Gold had done this Regina would make him pay, Dark One or not.

"You should probably stay for this Blondie." Faith told Emma. It puzzled Regina because she had thought Faith didn't want strangers to hear whatever she was going to reveal. "It might help clear my mom, if you hear about my experience with memory spells."

OH.

Regina tried really hard to contain the tear that escaped her, but for so many years she had thought her Faith hated her. But here she was, a grown woman Regina didn't have the chance to see grow up, and she was defending her from everyone, she didn't doubt her word when Regina told her she hadn't killed the cricket. No, she immediately believed her word. Regina hated herself for ever thinking Faith had left her. That she hated her.

She had been so shocked by that realization that she had barely reacted when Charming pulled his gun on Faith. By the time she thought to use her magic, Faith had him writhing in pain on the floor. And that speed…had someone turned her baby into a werewolf?

"Uh…okay. My name is Emma by the way. Emma Swan." She extended her hand to Faith. It got awkward when Faith didn't take it for a while, but then Henry nudged her. And she finally shook Emma's hand. The savior wasn't sure, but she could swear the brunette was pouting.

"Faith Mills," Oh yeah, Emma thought. Faith was definitely pouting, "Well then come along Swan." And with that she walked into the living room.

Swan huh?

At least this Mills didn't call her Miss. Emma had never been one for formalities.

Once everyone was seated, Faith stood before them pacing a little, unsure of where to begin.

"Faith?" Regina asked nervously. Her arms clinging to Henry next to her and Faith noted with satisfaction that he was holding her as well. He had apparently been able to sense her distress.

Swan sat awkwardly on the other side of him.

Well, she might as well begin.

"Okay, so before I start. I need to know something." Faith asked looking at her mother. "The curse is broken isn't it? And if Swan watched Pongo's memories then that means there's magic here? The Magic from our world, it's here right?"

"Regina nodded with a sigh. "Yes, sweetheart. It's broken, and Rumple brought magic to this world but it only works inside the town barrier, which still remains."

Faith nodded taking in the information. "Okay, so that helps a bit I guess. Uh…Mom, remember when you told me about the past, and said this was a world without magic?"

Henry frowned in confusion. It seemed his mom had really told Faith the truth after all…but then why had she hidden things from him? Was it because he was adopted? Regina on her part was confused about where Faith was going with all this. "Yes, of course I remember, love."

Faith's heart clenched. It had been so long since her mother had called her that. Even if she hadn't remembered it, she had missed it. Clearing her throat she continued. "Yeah, well…you were wrong."

"I-what?"

"There is magic in this world…and I don't mean the one Gold brought from our world. My memories were altered outside of Storybrooke, by people from this world."

Emma chanced a look at Regina. The woman was holding a wide eyed Henry to her. It struck Emma how similar their expressions were at that moment. They were hurt to be reminded that Faith didn't remember them for years, but also shocked about the idea of magic in this world, and they were obviously calculating all the possibilities that could bring about.

Emma had to ask. "Are you sure? I mean wouldn't people know? I've seen magic since the curse broke and not even when I lived on the streets did I see anything even similar…"

Faith chuckled. "You'd be surprised by how many impossible magical things people see, and yet refused to acknowledge. It's easier to chalk something up to gangs on PCP and mysterious fork exsanguination than accept that vampires are real." Faith almost had to laugh at the collective look of shock and fear she got from all three of the people on the couch.

"Vampires!?"

Emma shook her head in denial. "No. No way…that's impossible…"

Faith raised an eyebrow. "Oh, you mean like using magic to watch a dog's memories?"

Emma's eyes widened. "Shit…" She barely heard Regina's warning about her language. "I…oh God…i-is their face deformed?" OH no. No way. Now that she really thought about it with the awareness of magic. There was a guy once…she was looking for a place to spend the night, not long before she met Neal and saw a man having sex with a woman, obviously a prostitute. She remembered him turning to look at her…and his face. Emma had thought paying for sex was the only way the deformed man could get any. But now all of a sudden she remembers not just his face but… his mother fucking FANGS! How…how did she not remember this until now? Did she leave that alley and left the woman to die?

"Yes they do. And I'm guessing you've only now realized you've already seen one." It was a statement. Faith was not surprised at all. It was so ridiculous what people could come up with to deny what was right in front of them. It was even worse in Sunnydale, but honestly? For the supernatural world to still be a secret, even now with cameras, and smartphones and internet? Yeah there was some serious denial going on. "That said, before you have a panic attack…remember the dog memories? Magic exists outside of town as well. Big deal, nothing changes except that now you'll be safer because you are aware of it and can learn how protect yourself…now seriously breathe."

Emma took a deep breath.

"Okay. You are right. I should be used to the weird by now. I can deal." She said putting on a brave face.

"I don't understand. Why did Gold have to bring magic to Storybrooke then?" Regina's voice distracted Faith from her amusement at Emma's reaction. Regina sighed. "And why would someone from this world do that to you?"

"I don't know mom, I guess magic is different here, I mean the town does feel different than the last time I was here. I can tell its magic but it's completely different from what I've felt before being around magic. As for why they would want me…ugh I am supposed to give the speech I guess."

Regina raised her hand. "Wait…sweetheart you can sense magic? Are you…can you do magic? Or the way you moved when David pulled out his gun…are you a werewolf?"

Suddenly three pairs of eyes were looking intently at Faith. Ugh she should really stop stalling and get to the point before they think she's also a dragon. "No! No, I'm not a werewolf…but I do have superpowers."

"You do!? Like Captain America or like the X-men? I knew you had super powers! You saved me when I slipped from the bookshelf." Henry burst out excitedly.

"Whoa hold on Monkey. I guess sort of like captain America but not quite. And mom that's how I can sense magic…I don't know if I have magic myself, I've never tried to find out. But uh my powers are the reason those people took me. I didn't have them back then, but they knew I could have them one day…" Faith trailed off at the look of confusion on their faces. "Okay let's do this right. I have to give you some background information or you won't get it."

She cleared her throat. "There's usually a speech that's given to the newbies, but I'm not doing that. So basically as I said before there's magic in this world…and a lot of creatures like vampires, and also demons, werewolves, zombies…anything you probably think belongs in a horror movie is probably real. And they can be a threat to the world and to the human race. But there are warriors and champions who fight to stop them..." Faith could already see the look of glee on Monkey's face the moment the words warriors and champions left her mouth.

"Anyway, thousands of years ago there were a lot more demons and a group of human shamans decided to create a warrior as strong and as fast as the demons they were up against…so they…" She trailed off here. What she learned about the slayer line while in Sunnydale had chilled her to the bones… and pissed the crap out of her. It was no wonder those men ended up becoming the Watchers…

"Faith…? W-what is it?" Regina asked afraid of what would come.

Faith's eyes connected with theirs. "They took a girl and…they _infused_ her with the essence, the power of a demon." She wasn't going to call it rape in front of monkey, but by the look on her mother's and Swan's faces they knew what she was insinuating.

Emma interrupted before Faith could continue. "Wait…when you say they took her…"

Faith nodded. "She didn't want that power, but they still restrained her and gave it to her…"

Regina had gone pale. She had an idea where this was going… "But…that's! It must have been horribly painful…to forcefully change the very essence of a person, their soul even…that's…"

"Yes."

Henry looked from his mom to Faith. "So they hurt her to give her power she didn't want? Why not use someone else? Why not give it to someone who wanted them?"

"I don't know monkey. I guess not everyone was…uh compatible with the power and they needed someone to fight the demons. So they gave her the power and she became the first Slayer." Faith shrugged.

Henry barely contained himself from expressing how cool that name was. He guessed that the way the girl got her powers was too awful to say something like that. Though, he thought it really was a cool name. He returned his attention to his big sister.

"So once she changed…her uh new instincts told her she HAD to fight the demons. And she did…until she died. Then the power looked for another compatible person, girl actually. It's always a girl. So yeah and the new girl would fight until she died, and then another was called. They never knew who would become the next Slayer, so the shamans eventually formed the Watcher's Council." Faith had to force herself not to sneer at the last words. "And they began looking for the potential slayers, the girls who were compatible and could one day be called…and they raised them from childhood. They trained them to fight. But not every potential they found was a young child, some had families who didn't want to give them up…But the council always saw the Slayer as a weapon not as a human…and you know how women were treated in the past of this world, so up to the 1800's and again in recent years, they…they took the girls and they altered their memories…"

That's when it all clicked in Regina's head. "No. No…they…you? They took you; they made you forget about your family! They did all that just t-to make you fight monsters until you died!?" Regina's eyes flared purple. She was going destroy every single one of the people who kept her baby from her. "I will destroy them! How did they even enter town? They will pay for this!"

Emma held a now crying Henry while Regina paced barely containing her magic.

Faith went to Regina and held her by the arms. "Mom, Mom…Mom!" She exclaimed trying to get her attention. "Mom they are dead." Faith said finally managing to get to her mom.

She was so angry. How dare they touch her little girl? Take her from Regina? Take her from her family? "D-dead?" Regina asked shaking in her daughters arms.

"Yes mom, there was an enemy this year that put a bomb in their headquarters and blew them up. They are gone…They paid for what they did to me and to all the other girls." Faith said and gave her mother a hug. God did it feel good to be back in her mother's arms. To know there was someone in the world who would do anything for her. "Come on, why don't you sit down? Okay? There's still a lot you need to know. I know it's hard but I need to tell you everything. Can do that for me?" Regina nodded into her daughter's neck before she sat back on the couch not even bothering to hide her tears.

Henry launched himself from Emma's arms and hugged his sister tightly for a minute before going back to the couch and hugging their mother. Emma felt a tug on her heart at the scene. This whole story was goddamned awful. She herself wanted to hug Faith, to hug Henry and Regina, but instead she remained in her sit and sent Faith an 'are you okay?' look.

Faith gave her a nod and a small smile as an answer.

"I…mom…? I it was my fault they got me…" She kneeled in front of her mother. She could feel Lehane's doubts creeping back to the surface and forcefully pushed them back down.

"What? No love…" But Faith interrupted Regina's objections.

"Mom, I left town…I it wasn't the first time I did it…I- I'm sorry." She took her mom's hand and pressed it against her cheek.

"I-I but love…why? Did you not want to be here?" The _With me…_ was obvious in her sad pained tone.

"No! No, mommy I swear that's not why…I was an idiot, I thought it was some great adventure. I did it once and everything was fun and I thought I could do it again with no problem, I thought I could use the chance to buy your birthday present…something different than what I could find here. Something special to show you I didn't care about the past, about the curse. To show you I love you…I wanted to come back to be with you…both of you." Tears were running down her face now. Faith had simply given up trying to hold back. She needed her mom to see how much she loved her. "But they got me and I was chained up and they…" She looked down away from her mother's eyes. "They used the spell…and then I was Faith Lehane, and I remembered another mother…one who didn't care and then being in the foster system." She looked at Emma at this, and the blonde understood what kind of memories those were.

Faith looked back at her mom and wiped her tears with her thumb. "I was called as a slayer a couple of months later." She said and Regina took her hand and kissed it. Then let Henry hold it as well and kept it on her lap." She smiled encouragingly to Faith. As much as it hurt to hear this, she could tell her child need it to let it out, even if only what she could say in front of Henry. Regina knew she would later hear the rest…that she would hold her daughter while she let the pain wash away with tears. For now she needed to let her explain this version to Henry. He deserved to know, even if just enough to understand. He had been hurt by his sister's absence as much as Regina was.

"I spend a couple of months with my watcher, slaying in Boston, where I remembered growing up. She had told me about the slayer and about my destiny…she told me there was only one slayer until a couple of years earlier, when the slayer drowned but was resuscitated with CPR. She had been dead long enough for another girl to be called. Then there were two. And when the new girl died about a year later it was my turn. I-I had wanted to meet this original slayer, so when this very old vampire killed my watcher…I escaped. I ran away and got myself to Sunnydale in California. Apparently the town was on top a Hellmouth…ugh that's what it sounds like…a portal thing into hell…or a hell anyway."

Faith gulped. The next part wasn't easy. "I-I just recently found out about this…but besides the memory spell there were uh compulsions?" She felt her mother tense. It seemed their world's magic had those too. "They uh…made sure I wasn't able to trust anyone…just my watcher, but she died…and I didn't stay in Boston to wait for another one to show. I literally couldn't trust anyone, not even the other slayer, to the point that I would always be on the defensive, expecting a fight, angry at others…. At one point a rogue watcher came to town and used this trigger word on me, and convinced me they were meeting behind my back…and anyway she tricked me into fighting against them but then she betrayed them for this magic lightning glove thing. And well from then things uh got worse between me and the other slayer and her friends…I couldn't trust them and they didn't trust me either. And one night Buffy, that's the other slayer-," She was interrupted by three different voices.

"Really!? That's her name?!" They exclaimed. Faith just shrugged.

"Yeah, I know. Maybe her mom was high or something. So anyway, B and I were attacked by a large group of vampires…they were coming at us from every side. B lost her stake so she was throwing them at me to stake but…the last one…it wasn't a vamp…it was human…I-I didn't realize until it was too late…he died."

"Oh, love. I'm so sorry. It must have been horrible for you…" Regina hugged her once more. Faith had worried about their reactions at this part. She looked at Henry and saw a conflicted look on his, face.

For his part Henry didn't know what to think…his sister had killed a man…but she said it had been an accident, so he couldn't really get mad at her, right? It wasn't her fault. "It's okay…it was an accident." He was rewarded with a beautiful smile from his sister. But her eyes looked sad.

Emma had a feeling it didn't end there. If she couldn't trust anyone and felt like they would have turned on her like Emma often had felt…courtesy of the foster system…

Faith continued then. The worse was still coming… "I-I didn't react well to that. I already felt inferior compared to the great Buffy, and everyone treated me that way…I felt like I wasn't good enough remembering years of foster care didn't help…and now someone died because of me. I panicked. I thought I was evil; I tried to put the blame on Buffy…I mean it's not like her friends would have turned HER in. I-I tried to leave town but I ended up going to the mayor…he-he was the bad guy. He wanted to become a pure demon, and I guess I felt the only way I could protect myself from the Scoobies…that's Buffy and her friends, the only way I could protect myself was…was ugh I joined him."

Henry was having trouble keeping quiet. Faith joined the evil man…why? …But he wasn't even sure it was Faith who did it. If she remembered a different life and a spell made her act a certain way…He wasn't sure what to do. This Faith seemed sad. But she didn't seem like the person she was describing. And she remembered them now…she also trusted their mom. So the spells were broken right? She was his sister again…?

"I didn't trust him at first obviously…but then something changed…he started acting…well like a parent. I've thought about it in the last couple of days…I think he knew about the spell. He knew about you somehow mom, because he started behaving like you would with me. Loving, fun…he actually took me to play mini golf once…and he was a mayor. I think he knew, and he acted that way to make me trust him and it worked…even if I didn't remember you. A part of me still did…" She trailed off sadly. Since she remembered her brain had compared his behavior with her mother's. And the moment Angel revealed the compulsions, it was confirmed in Faith's mind that Wilkins had known about Regina somehow. He never mentioned the Spartans to her, yet still found a way to gain her trust…her love. It could have been a huge coincidence, except… "He even called me his little firecracker…"

Regina had to use all her self-control to keep from exploding at this. First those damned watchers, now this. This damned man used her as a way to control her daughter…HER little firecracker, not his! She gave her that name! She played mini golf with her…and now those memories were tainted by that bastard. How dare he use Faith and her memories to manipulate her baby? "No. No. You are MY firecracker! Not…" But Faith gently placed a finger on her lips stopping her.

"Don't worry about that okay? I'll always be your firecracker. Okay?" She asked and after a few seconds she received a teary nod from Regina. She made eye contact with Henry and he tightened his hold on their mom.

"Anyway…he asked me to do things you wouldn't have…you would never ask me to kill someone. But he asked…and I did." Faith closed her eyes tightly at this point. She didn't want to look at them in the eyes and see their disappointment. She knew her mom wanted her to be better than she herself had been. And Henry…he was still young the world was still about heroes and villains…though she guessed she could use the comic reference to explain they gray parts of life. That if he even wanted to be anywhere near her from now on.

She decided to keep going before her urge to run became stronger. "After that he asked me to, use a poison arrow on Buffy's vampire with a soul boyfriend…yeah I know. A Slayer and a vamp, weird but Angel's a good guy when he has his soul. He is my best friend these days, but back then. I tried to kill him. The only antidote for that poison was the blood of a Slayer…so Buffy came after me at my apartment. She wanted to give him my blood…"

Emma interrupted for the first time in a while. She had been mostly quiet after the revelation about vampires. But this was…wasn't this Buffy one of the good guys? And she was going to? "Wait when you say she was going to give him your blood…you mean she was…?"

"Yep, she was going to feed me to him…uh well yeah." Faith shrugged. This was a bit too much to say in front of monkey…but maybe he needed to hear it, even if it was more than she would normally want her little brother to hear.

Henry finally couldn't take it anymore. "But that would have killed you!" That's not how stories were supposed go. His sister could have died! A monster could have eaten her, not because she lost to it but because a good guy fed her to it! "How could she do that!? Wasn't she supposed to be good? Good people don't do that!"

Faith sighed. She looked at her mother and saw she had her eyes closed, her body was shaking, and Faith could feel magic in the air. Her mom was obviously trying to contain herself. But Faith knew that it was only going to get worse.

"Henry…even good people are capable of doing evil things. It's not always a matter of good and evil. Sometimes good people do evil things in the name of good. It doesn't make their actions good. People aren't good or evil, they are just human… Even demons you can't dismiss as evil. Some demons go against their evil nature and become good people, or demons that are by nature good can choose to be evil. Some people are neither…they are in a more gray area. You understand what I'm trying to say?"

Henry nodded hesitantly. He didn't know what to think. But the men who took Faith were evil, and they used the slayer to fight for good. And the good slayer tried to kill his sister. "I think so…and you are alive so you won then? And escaped?"

Oh man. Faith was sure her mom would explode at this part. "Uh…no, Not exactly…I-I we fought and she uh…she stabbed me…I jumped from the roof and uh I was in a coma… for a few months-,"

And suddenly the mirrors exploded.

_Shit._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ****  
> _AN:_   
>   
> _OK guys, this chapter turned out to be a monster. 27 pages! So we had to cut it in half because quite honestly we don't know that we will be able to write more long chapters like this one, so you better not get used to it, sorry :P_
> 
>  
> 
> _Now, before anyone complains that David wouldn't but Henry in danger like that...well go watch Welcome to Storybrooke again and pay attention to David's gun...WHILE Henry was between him and Regina. So yeah he would._
> 
>  
> 
> _Anyway, go review now. Next chapter should be up in the next couple of days._


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> _**AN:** Here's part 2 of our little monstrous chapter 4. Hope you like it. Let's hope Regina calms down ;)_

"Mom…"

But Regina didn't listen. She was pacing once more; this time leaving a trace of purple smoke…Faith guessed that was her magic. It was actually kind of cool…not that she would say that out loud.

"Stabbed!? That little! How dare she!? I bet she didn't pay for that crime right? That's always what happens with the good ones! They kill, they destroy but since it was in the name of good they are forgiven! In fact there is nothing to forgive because they didn't do anything wrong!" She couldn't believe this. How could the universe hate her family so much? Why did they have to go through so much pain!? Her baby never had a chance.

"Mom, please. I was out of control. .. "

"No, Faith tell me was she punished? Did she go to prison? What the girl did was…was. She was going to FEED you to a monster!" Around them the lights started blinking. "I will destroy her! I will make her pay for this!"

While Regina vented and Faith tried to calm her. Emma could see Henry frown and nod at his mother's words. She was shocked. Henry who had always frowned upon at those kinds of thoughts on Regina's part was now agreeing with her wholeheartedly. The savior didn't know how to deal with that.

Though to be honest, if it had been Henry who'd gone through something like what Faith had, even only what Faith was revealing in front of Henry, Emma would stop at nothing to avenge him. Hell from what she'd heard about Faith's life after the memory spell, Emma felt inclined to break that other slayer's face…even if though she'd probably get her ass kicked.

"Mom, please calm down. A lot happened since and while she's still annoyingly 'good' despite her actions…kind of self-righteous too but that's a white hat trait. What's important is that we've made our peace…uh sort of. She won't be greeting me with a fist again anytime soon anyway, that's for sure. But we've learned to put the past aside and work together when the world needs it. So please calm down and let me finish…what comes next is probably the most important part okay? I'm obviously alive and here with you so let's not waste our time on vengeance…?" Faith hoped it was working…she still had a lot to say and she felt like this was what her mom and Henry needed to hear the most. That despite everything that happened, she had chosen to leave that dark place. She had chosen to fight; she had chosen to redeem herself.

Regina took a deep breath and pulled her daughter into a hug. She'd been through so much. But Regina could still see all that goodness, all that love that her daughter always radiated , it was there under the pain and sadness and it was getting stronger the more she told her story. So for her she would once more sit down and try to listen. She just hoped it wasn't about to get worse.

"Very well, I'm sorry dear…it's just the thought of someone hurting you…that you could have died…It's hard love. All I ever wanted was to protect you. I promised when I found you again that I wouldn't let anyone hurt you again…but I failed." Regina cried into her daughter's neck. She was her mother. How could she fail her so horribly?

Faith pushed away a little and held her mother's gaze. "Mom, Nothing, I repeat nothing you did caused me to be outside of town. Nothing you did made the watchers become a group of sick twisted men. Nothing you did made Faith Lehane act the way she did, or Buffy try to kill her. The only thing you are directly responsible of is making me feel loved. Making me feel happy…and despite everything that happened, everything I went through… now that I'm here you make everything better again. You make the pain go away. So don't you ever think you failed me! You and monkey are the only people who have never failed me."

With that she pulled her mother back into a tight hug, careful of her strength, and kissed her hair. "Now come on let me finish I promise things start to get better now. Okay?" And just to cause a distraction from all the crying Faith lifted her mom bridal style and carried her back to the couch ignoring her indignant squeal, and very much enjoying Monkey's laughter and Swan's raised eyebrow.

Placing Regina back on the couch Faith winked at Henry making him giggle. Then she kissed Regina's forehead and was rewarded by her mom's beautiful smile. All the fight about being carried gone from her face. Score.

Shame she didn't try that trick the time she broke that vase…or the window.

Or mom's favorite mirror.

"Okay so, my friend Angel thinks that the coma might have been a good thing, because if he's right when I woke up the compulsions were gone…it was just me with awful memories, you know? I didn't feel compelled to distrust everyone and hurt people. Just B because of the memories. I kind of used a device from the mayor to switch bodies with B…and uh wreck her life a little." She definitely wasn't going to mention sleeping with B's boyfriend. Sex was NOT a topic she wanted to bring to this conversation, at all.

"But uh…just as I was going to leave town there was something on the News about men with deformed faces holding a group of people hostage in a church…and I-I just couldn't leave so I went to save them and uh after that B was there too. And we fought and she used a spell to change us back. I ran away from town after that. I ended up in L.A." Faith scratched the back of her neck nervously. "Uh…Angel was in L.A. and I was a bit su-I-I wasn't in a good place. She hoped Henry didn't catch her slip up. Though her mom and Swan definitely did, "So I got hired by this evil demonic law firm that wanted Angel dead, and I thought I'd use the chance to…to get caught."

Damn. This was getting harder. How was she going to explain torturing Wes…

"So, I went after Angel's friends. I kidnapped Wesley my former watcher and uh…I hurt him so Angel would be really angry with me…I wanted him to win…but Angel didn't give up on me, he convinced me that I could try and redeem myself. He told that I wasn't a lost cause. I think that if the compulsions had still been there I wouldn't have listened, but without them I could see he meant what he said. Anyway I listened to him and he helped me come to terms with what I did, and what I could do to change." She said with a smile while talking about Angel. Both Regina and Henry noticed. They decided that if they ever met this Angel they would do anything to make sure he knew how grateful they were.

"Right, so then B was there and we were fighting…well not an actual fist fight but an argument, and the watchers send a team of assassins, and B saved me despite everything I'd done to her. That's when I decided to turn myself in to the police. I've been in prison ever since, until about a week ago when uh there was a bit of an apocalypse." She shrugged at the raised eyebrows when she said **an** apocalypse. People had trouble dealing with the fact the world almost ended several times every year and they never knew.

"And I kind of escaped." Well, she obviously had a captive audience now. "And then went to save Angel's life, and then one of B's friends, Willow. She's a witch. She went to help restore Angel's soul that had been taken making him evil again. And she told me this powerful force of darkness called the First Evil was trying to destroy the slayer line, by killing all the potential slayers and had the Council blow up which, didn't really upset me much. The council not the girls." Indeed it hadn't bothered her. Even before she knew what they did to her. Now she was only sorry she couldn't got give them hell. At least she was sure that's where they were now. Hell.

"So I went with her to help and eventually we went down into the Hellmouth. Willow used a spell and this ancient Slayer weapon. A Scythe, B found, to activate every potential slayer in the world…so there's thousands of us now. And we fought this super vampire army, but in the end had to run because the town was collapsing. We barely made it out in time. The whole place is this huge crater like an hour away from L.A. now."

Henry who had smiled all through the last part of the story, kept thinking how cool it was that his sister fought an army of vampires, to save the world. "Then what happened? Were you hurt? When was that battle? How do you kill a vampire?-"

"Hey, hey, hey! Monkey, calm down, I wasn't hurt. It was about five days ago I think. And…we'll talk about vamps later. But you need to know what happened next." She waited for Henry to nod. And she smiled when he cuddled into Regina's side.

"Well…on the ride back I uh…fainted. Like I said, I wasn't hurt, but apparently the Scythe spell broke the memory spell the council had placed on me. I was unconscious for about three days, then I woke up and I remembered. There was this confrontation with Giles and Wesley. Apparently Wes knew about the spell. He was told I was dangerous and that they did the spell so they didn't have to kill me…" That still didn't fucking justify his silence! She was a human being not a computer they could just reprogram whenever they wanted. Good thing they were dead or she'd really become a murderer by choice...

"That's pretty much it. Angel and Lorne brought me here last night. I uh… had a bit of a panic attack, but calmed down enough by this morning to come looking for you guys." And found things had gone to hell in her absence. But at least she was here now. She would make sure things got better.

Henry was bouncing in his sit. "Wait…they brought you here!? Can I meet Angel? I want to see his vampire face! Can I?" Of course that would be his first priority. Faith thought fondly. She'd really missed her monkey, memories or not.

Angel and Lorne didn't know what was coming their way. Faith could already see monkey asking to see Angel's fangs and asking thousands of questions. She almost felt sorry for him. Well almost.

Faith looked at her mom for confirmation and saw her nod hesitantly.

"Alright monkey you can meet him tomorrow. He and Lorne should have gotten a room at Granny's by now. There's no hurry. They aren't going anywhere for a while, okay?" She smiled at his reluctant nod.

Swan, to Faith's amusement, seemed almost as excited as Henry. A bit more nervous but excited none the less.

On her part Regina wanted to meet her daughter's savior as well. She owed him a lot for saving her baby girl. Not that she would use those words when thanking him. Faith hated being called a baby when she was a teenager…she certainly wouldn't it now she was…oh Gods her baby was a woman. Regina nearly burst into tears at that thought. But she had to keep strong…she knew there was a lot she and Faith would be talking about tonight. If she broke down right now she wouldn't be able to help her daughter. She needed a distraction.

She got one in the form of a dragon…or something that sounded like one. She even saw Miss Swan look around startled.

"Uh… sorry?" Faith said sheepishly. "I haven't eaten in a few days…well Angel bought me a burger with fries yesterday, but I wasn't feeling well."

Emma snorted. "Really, just a few days. That sounded like a few months!" She had thought there was a dragon around or something…you never knew in this town.

Faith just shrugged. "Well, not months but my last full meal was breakfast in prison the day I escaped. Things have been kind of hectic since to eat more than snacks, and with dozens of potential slayers at B's house one was lucky to get even just a little food. I did have some chips before the battle and then I was unconscious. I had a lot on my mind yesterday so I only ate the fries. And uh I had a bag of Doritos this morning… I'm a healthy Slayer I need a lot of calories to function…which reminds me." Faith turned to her mother and gave her the dimples begging. "Please tell me you have some leftover lasagna, somewhere in the house?"

Regina melted. Emma noticed with amusement. It was so nice to see this side of Regina. Sure, she was softer than usual with Henry, but there was always at least a wall up for fear of rejection. Emma thought guiltily. But Faith had proven over and over today that she was on Regina's side. That she loved her unconditionally. And so there were no wall up when she addressed her daughter. It was…it was something.

"Oh, love I'm so sorry. I don't but why don't you have some apple pie while I make some lasagna? I have brownies too and homemade ice cream." Regina jumped at the chance to feed her daughter. Faith always ate Regina's food with so much gusto. And it would not do to have her daughter go hungry. Gods knew what kind of food they gave her in that prison.

Henry's head snapped in Regina's direction. "You made Ice cream!? The chocolate and peanut butter one!? Can I have some too? Please mom!"

Emma had to stop herself from asking for some herself. God was Regina secretly Marta Stuart or something could she cook and bake anything? The eagerness on Henry's and Faith's faces indicated that ice cream was to die for…maybe if Emma looked as pathetically as possible, she'd get some ice cream too.

Regina sighed. "Alright but just a little. Unlike your sister you haven't spent the last few days without food. Nor do you need extra calories."

Henry nodded eagerly. "Just a little! With chocolate chips like we used to have on movie night?"

"Very well let's go to the kitchen to get it and then you and your sister can have some alone time while Miss Swan helps me with dinner." Regina offered and received a grateful look from both siblings.

* * *

It didn't take long for Faith and Henry to devour their ice cream. Or in Faith's case her ice cream, her brownies and her apple pie. Even Henry, her long time sugar lover companion, was a bit disgusted by the amount of sugar Faith consumed.

"So monkey…I'm sure you have questions. I thought we could talk a bit while mom's done with dinner." Faith asked sitting next to him on the couch.

Henry gulped nervously. He had A LOT of questions, but for the first time in years he was afraid of some of the answers. "Yeah…I guess."

"Well, come on. Shoot." Faith could tell he was nervous. She hoped he didn't ask anything she couldn't answer. There were just some things he was too young to know.

"D-did mom really tell you about the curse? That she is the Evil Queen?" He knew his mom had told him before he left with David, and Faith mentioned her telling her…but he still needed to hear it.

Faith narrowed her eyes for a second. "She did tell me everything Henry and I was nine when the curse was cast. I remember a little about the Enchanted Forest, to be honest I prefer this world. Over there things could be dangerous all the time. It's not a walk in the park in this world either, but at least here people live better lives…" She then put her hands on his shoulders. "And Henry. Mom is NOT the Evil Queen. She was never evil. Don't look at me like that. Remember what I said about people being more than just good or evil?"

She continued at his nod. "Sometimes really horrible things happen to people. And they are left feeling alone and in pain every day. Sometimes when the pain becomes too much a person can lash out and do bad things. But Henry that doesn't necessarily mean they are evil. Sometimes all they needed was someone to believe in them, someone to help them like Angel helped me, someone who understands their pain…hell maybe even a therapist." She really hoped she could get this through him. She had a feeling his relationship with their mom had deteriorated a lot.

"But Henry you have to understand. The Enchanted forest had a society similar to the Middle Ages here on earth, there weren't any medical advances that we have here. Even the most educated person over there would look at someone like that and not think they needed psychological help, or even a friend like we would today. To them they were simply evil and needed to be killed. And that would only make the person feel more alienated and justified and that would push them further into darkness. Do you understand what I'm saying?"

Henry nodded. "I think so. You think mom was like that? That she needed help?" But then why didn't someone help her…was it because everyone just dismissed her as evil? He winced, like he had been doing.

"I know she did. She told me the whole story. I could see the pain it brought her, and now after being Faith Lehane for so long I know from personal experience what pain and loneliness can do to a person. Many people considered me evil, monkey. But do you think I am?"

Henry shook his head in denial. "No! You wouldn't have done those things if those men hadn't messed with your head!"

"You are right, I wouldn't have. I wouldn't have behaved the way I did. I wouldn't have hurt anyone unless they threatened my family. But Lehane's memories were full of horrible things that happened to her and she wasn't capable of making the right decisions until it was too late. Imagine what would have happened if Angel hadn't helped me? Who knows what I would have done? How many more people I would have hurt?" It was something she had always wondered about.

Henry was silent for a minute before asking. "Faith?"

"Yes monkey?"

"I-I never thought about things like that…and the good guys said mom was evil, and I wanted to be good… I pushed her away…I called her evil I-I live with Emma and her parents now…" He lowered his head, not wanting to find disappointment on his sister's face.

Faith closed her eyes tightly. From the way Henry had believed their mom had killed Archie immediately, and how Ms. Blan-no Snow and her idiot husband had behaved, Faith had suspected as much. Besides when they entered the house monkey had looked around as if to check everything was the same, just like Faith had…he hadn't been living here for a while.

It was one thing to know it and another completely different was to hear him confirm it.

God how she wished she could travel in time and kick her own ass before she left town that day. Faith sighed for like the million time today. "I thought as much…monkey. The 'good guys'" She made quotation marks with her hands. "Like I said they are just people, like everyone else. They make mistakes too…and sometimes the pass judgment without knowing the other side of the story."

She really hated that about white hats. They didn't know your story but they still branded you evil. But they easily forgave their own for the same crimes. They were just as flawed and screwed up but they couldn't see their own faults, or justified them with the fact that they were on the side of good. But they council was on the side of good…yet they had no problem with raping young girls for the greater good.

"Monkey, you are a good person, you are free to love whoever you want. No matter what other people say and even if they are the 'good guys'. There's a reason you love mom. If she was as awful as everyone claims she is do you really think we would love her so much? She would have treated us horribly. She would have purposely hurt us growing up. Look I want you to do something for me, okay?"

"Okay." He said earnestly.

"I want you to think about coming back home. I'm not going to force you to do it. I want you to take your time and think about how you feel. If your heart tells you to come home then do so, Okay? And if not…well I know I speak for both mom and I when I say you'll always be welcome here, even if only for a visit." Henry nodded again and gave her a small smile. Faith had a felling he would be coming back soon, but for now it was better to let him process the idea.

Faith gave him a gentle punch to the jaw, like back when they used to play they were super heroes. She had to make sure she put as little force behind it so as not to hurt him. From the way the man she guessed was prince Charming…more like Prince Idiot, was hurt when she used what she thought was less than half of her strength, Faith guessed that she was twice as strong now for some reason. She didn't stick around the scoobs long enough to get any new development, but she thought her extra strength might be related to the awakening of the potentials.

"I also think you should sit down and talk with mom sometime. Ask her to tell you her side of the story. Maybe you'll gain some understanding of why she did what she did. Whatever everyone else tells you it's just their side of the story, monkey. And an incomplete story can be worse than a lie…"

He was confused at this. How was it worse than a lie? "I don't understand…aren't lies worse? People lie on purpose, but if they don't know the other side of a story it's not really their fault…"

Great, it was time for an example then. "Well, that's why monkey. If someone lies and someone gets hurt because of it then that's bad and it could be that they meant to hurt or that they were afraid to tell the truth and didn't mean to hurt others…but if people don't have all the information, they could hurt innocent people without meaning to. They could cause pain to someone who doesn't deserve it and they would believe all along that they were doing the right thing."

She got off the couch and stood in front of Henry. "Imagine we are on the street playing and I lift you over my head like this!" And she grabbed him by his waist and lifted in the air. Henry let out a squeal of laughter and a whiny. "Faith!"

She laughed at him and set him back on his feet, smirking. "I thought you liked high places monkey. Isn't that why you always tried to climb everything?" She winked at him and he pouted. "Anyway, imagine I do that and someone who doesn't know me is watching us. They are far away from us so they can't hear you laughing, they didn't see us playing before I lifted you and they think I'm attacking you…"

Henry nodded at her to continue.

"So they grab a weapon and decide to save you. But they end up hurting me, or you or themselves accidently because they acted without knowing the whole story…"

He tilted his head in thought. "Like David did today with the gun? He thought you were going to hurt Emma and that's why he pulled out his gun?"

Faith smiled and nodded at him. "Exactly, monkey…well that and he's an idiot." Faith said and heard a familiar giggle in the next room. Hmm. Someone was eavesdropping. But then Faith couldn't really blame her. She probably would have too.

"He's not really an idiot…"

"He thought I was going to hurt his daughter while hugging the hell out of my little brother…and pulled a gun on me without thinking about the fact that he was also pointing at you." She said eyebrows raised.

"Okay, maybe a little."

Faith smiled. "That's my monkey!"

"Okay. I'll talk to mom. I promise. Uh…Faith…there's…there's something else." In all the conversation he hadn't looked so distressed. It mad alarms ring in Faith's mind.

"What is it monkey? You can tell me. You know you can trust me right? I mean remember that Crystal Apple mom loved so much? And the toy bow? Who took the fall for that one huh?" She asked playfully tickling his side trying to make him relax.

"I know…I know. It's just…why did mom tell you about the curse but not me? She lied to me for so long she made go see Archie to convince me I was wrong….but she told you…is it…is it because I'm adopted? And you are her real child?"

Oh man. How could things have gotten so bad?.

"No! Monkey, please don't say that. You are her real child! Monkey, there's a lot of people in the world who don't care about their family. Who don't love them even if they share the same blood. People don't get to choose who they are related to, and they don't always love them. But Mom chose you Henry. We both chose to love you. It wasn't because we had no choice. Mom is not my mom because we share the same blood, she's my mom because she loves me and I love her and she's always been there for me since she found out I was alive…it's the same for you, you are our family were it matters. Here." She said placing her hand above his heart.

"I think the only reason mom didn't tell you, was because she was afraid."

"Afraid? Why would she be afraid?"

"Think about it monkey. She told me and I disappeared the next day, it wasn't my choice, but as far as she knew I had left her. She was probably terrified the same would happen if you knew…" Faith was also older when her mom told her. It wasn't a story apt for little kids…but she kept that to herself. There was nothing the Mills siblings hated more than being called kids…even when they were.

"I never thought about that…I thought she didn't really love me…that's kind of why I went looking for Emma." She was the savior and in his mind she would be able to love him for real…and he was right and he loved her too, but he had been wrong about his mom…he knew that now.

"You did huh?" Faith asked. "Monkey…do you love her? Do you want her to be your mom?"

"I do love her. And I wouldn't mind having her as my mom, but I also want mom to still be my mom…uh." He frowned in confusion for a moment. "I mean…I want both of them to be my moms… Emma is not exactly a mom yet, she's more like a cool aunt. But…"

"She's learning."

"Yes."

"Okay. That's cool monkey. I can tell she cares about you too, but I think it's important you make sure mom knows you still love her that you still want her to be your mom. Try to make sure you don't ignore her in favor of Swan. She may seem indestructible but mom's heart can be very fragile when it comes to the people she loves. And we don't want to hurt her do we?"

"We don't. I don't…I love her."

Faith beamed at him. "Then let's make sure we tell her every day."

They hugged each other tightly for a couple of minutes, before Henry pulled away asked in confusion. "Wait… she's been there for you, since she found out you were alive?"

"Ah. That is a long story Monkey and much too long to tell before dinner's ready. I can already hear mom sending Swan to set the table. But ask me again tomorrow or when we have more time to sit and talk, okay?"

"Okay…I guess." He agreed reluctantly. "Can you really hear them all the way from here?" Henry asked excitedly. Yes. That story could wait. Finding out what other super powers his sister had definitely couldn't.

"Yup, my senses are enhanced. Normally, I could hear people talking upstairs, but it seems to be getting stronger. All my powers have really. That's why I ended up dislocating the idiot's shoulder." Funnily enough she didn't seem to be having problems with that last night when…uh she had her epiphany. But if she thought about it, when she woke up she was feeling weak as hell, plus with all that lack of food. She was going to have to be careful not to hurt someone, if her strength increased once she started eating more, and getting some sleep.

Henry ignored the idiot remark and just kept questioning her. "So, super strength, super speed and hearing. What else can you do?"

* * *

Emma was exhausted. And full.

Not because she ate too much, but because she watched as Faith wolfed down four helpings of lasagna. Of, course with all the manners Regina probably thought her, it was hard to notice if you were more concentrated in your own food. But Emma was curious about this girl that had turned everything upside-down… in only a few hours. And with Regina offering her more food every time her plate was emptied…Then she had yet another piece of apple pie.

She had to have been telling the truth about needing to eat more food than regular people. Emma thought as she left the bathroom on her way to the guest room. They had all talked a little more about Faith's powers, before Henry let out a huge yawn, they called it a night. She had watched from the door with Regina as Faith tucked him up for the night. Emma had to admit Faith seemed like a very good big sister. And despite only knowing her for a few hours, and the way the younger woman was still weary of her, Emma kind of liked her. Her story made Emma think hard about her life…

It was true that she had been getting caught up in all the Good vs. Evil bullshit that she had forgotten…well, not forgotten but doubted her own perspective of things in favor of her parent's. She had to think long and hard about who she was now. And hope not to screw up. Again.

Emma was convinced now. Regina didn't kill Archie. But then who? It had to be someone with magic who hated Regina. It's probably, Gold. But they would have to be careful and try to find more clues. Was Gold the only magic user in town other than Regina and the Blue Fairy?

Emma had spent what seemed like hours staring at the ceiling, when she heard a door opening and the sound of small steps move down the hallway.

Henry?

Where was he going?

Getting up Emma stealthily followed him downstairs. She saw him stop right outside of the door to Regina's study. There were low distressed voices coming from inside.

Oh.

It must be Faith and Regina. They probably still needed to talk about a few things out, just the two of them. Emma wondered if she should stop Henry from listening in. But she worried that she might just alert them of her presence and interrupt their talk. Just then she saw the look on Henry's face shift to an anguished expression and she froze. She really didn't know what to do now. What would a mother do?...but of course she had no idea.

Faith had been right.

Emma wasn't Henry's real mother. It didn't matter that she had popped him out. She thought bitterly. It didn't matter that she loved him. Regina was his mom…Emma was at most like an aunt. She thought remembering what Henry had told his sister. Both she and Regina had been unable to stop themselves from listening to that talk…at least the first part of it as Regina had to keep an eye of dinner. These thoughts kept taunting her and in the end she did nothing to stop him. She just stood there her mind making a mess of her emotions for over an hour.

So lost was she in her thoughts that she didn't notice how Henry's face became more horrified with every minute, until he let out a whimper and rushed into the room. She moved closer to get a better angle at what was happening inside.

There was Regina, sitting on the floor holding onto both of her children as they sobbed into her neck.

* * *

After tucking Henry in for the first time in five years, Faith's mind was a whirlwind of thoughts. She knew she needed to tell everything she kept out from her story to her mother. But God, she wasn't sure she could. Just the thought of talking about it hurt. And talking about it with her mom meant they would both feel that hurt.

She didn't want to hurt her mom.

They had retired to Regina's study after making sure Henry was in bed, and Swan went to the guest room. But they simply sat down, each nursing a glass of cider, and for several minutes no one said a word. Regina was waiting for Faith to say something.

"I don't know where to begin. It's going to hurt no matter where I start." Faith smiled slightly at her mother. She stood up and walked in front of Regina, her arms hugging her middle. "I guess the beginning, as much as I want to lock the memories away and throw the key…I had no idea, you know? I thought everything would be alright. It never occurred to me someone would kidnap me. It's stupid now, because if not the watchers, something else could have happened, but I just walked around Portland like nothing could happen to me, like I was still in Storybrooke." She had been told over and over at school how smart she was, how good she was at everything…but smarts don't mean shit if you are too naive to use them when it matters.

Regina sat in silence…she had a terrible feeling about this.

"I remember entering this antique store. Nothing like Gold's, this one didn't creep the hell out of me." She chuckled humorlessly. "It was empty. It was just the store owner an old lady. She seemed nice. I told her I wanted to buy a birthday present for my mom, said you liked apples. She showed me all kinds of cool stuff with apples said she'd give me a discount for whatever I chose. There was this beautiful necklace with an apple tree pendant…I thought it would look beautiful on you."

Faith closed her eyes tightly and sighed. Why couldn't this be easier? "I didn't get to buy it though. There was suddenly a group of men there. They grabbed me from behind and no matter how hard I tried to fight them, there were just too many of them. The last thing I remembered before waking up in some kind of basement in chains was the old lady…she was lying in a pool of blood."

Faith tried really hard to contain it. It wasn't even the most horrifying thing those men had probably done, but tears still escaped Faith's eyes at that moment.

Regina left her place on the couch and rushed to Faith, her hand reaching to wipe her tears.

Suddenly images flashed before Faith's eyes and for a moment she was back in those places. In the store watching as the life left that poor woman's eyes, in a cold basement as needles pierced her, glass cut her, hands hit her, touched, filled her. Then she was in Boston and SHE hit her, kicked, burned her because she could keep THEM happy…and in the present as a hand sought to soothe her, Faith's whole body flinched away from the touch, her own hand shooting up to grab it in a nearly crushing hold.

It took her mother's cry of pain to snap Faith out of it. "Oh my God, Oh God…mom I'm so sorry. I-I wasn't…I didn't mean to…"

Regina didn't know what to think. The way Faith had flinched away brought back all the doubts, all the fear that her daughter might hate her after all. The pain in her wrist was nothing compared to the pain in her heart. But Faith seemed to be panicking now, and she feared she would run. So with a flick of her other wrist the definitely broken bones healed. "It's alright…I'm fine see?" She showed her wrist to Faith.

"I'm sorry…I-I just...I thought…" She looked away from her mother's gaze.

"You thought I would hit you…I Faith…I know I've done horrible things in the past." Her voice cracked with pain. "But I would never hurt you. I swear, please don't be afraid of me…I love you," Regina said in tears at the thought Faith might be afraid of her.

"No! Mommy no, I swear I'm not afraid of you!" Faith exclaimed. There was no going back now. Tears ran down her face as she pleaded with her mother to believe her. She gently grabbed Regina's hand and brought it to her face, kissing the wrist and then holding it against her cheek. "I know you would never hurt me. I know. I just it wasn't you I was seeing. I promise it wasn't you. It's just she's still here…in my head, a part of me and she reminds me how broken I am…I-I'm broken mom…I'm so goddamned broken…t-they hurt me so much mom. They beat me, they starved me, and they tortured me. And…they…oh God mom. They touched me…they cut off my clothes and they raped me. All of them…they'd take turns…others just didn't care to wait a-and I couldn't move, I could fight anymore and they didn't care if I begged… I-I it hurt so much mom…" And Faith broke down.

She sobbed in her mother's arms for hours. The truth of her pain and suffering slipping past her lips between sobs. Regina cradled her child against her chest as she brokenly told her how those men destroyed her world, took her innocence. How she woke up on the streets of Boston, after being "knocked out" by a vampire and "rescued" by her watcher. Being told of her destiny and called not long after, feeling helpless and terrified as a huge vampire ripped the woman apart. Desperately running across the country…sometimes even having to exchange sexual favors for a ride to the next town, like she _remembered_ having done before to survive. Reaching the Hellmouth and feeling rejected from the get go. Watching as the only person she thought would understand her just dismissed her, and her friends followed her lead…the way they looked at her like she was inferior, how not even the man who was supposed to 'Watch out' for her until someone came for her did anything for her. She was alone. Only slaying and sex provided release.

Then a man was dead, and it was her fault no matter that the other girl grabbed and beat up the man before throwing him at her. She was the one in the wrong and the one who had to confess and pay for the crime. She told her how she wanted to make them feel like she felt every day, she wanted to make them suffer, she wanted to make them angry, and she wanted them to end her. Then she was asleep for so long, trapped in a never ending nightmare. What came next, everything she went through in another person's body showed her the other side. Showed her how wrong she had been and reaffirmed in her mind the belief that she was better off dead. She tortured a man, her watcher…she delighted in using a torture technique subconsciously learned from the men who took everything from her. She cut, she burned, and she hit him…until her salvation came in the form of the man she wanted to end her.

She fought, she taunted, and she even begged him to kill her when it seemed obvious he wanted to save her.

But he didn't give up.

For the first time in years, someone was willing to fight for her, someone believed she could be better and slowly but surely he made her start to believe as well. The next few years after she turned herself in, actually provided the stability she needed to get better. And no week passed, save for an apocalypse or two when he didn't visit her, or at least received a letter from him…even when he stayed in some monastery on the other side of the world. That's why when he needed her she didn't hesitate to literally leap to his rescue.

Mother and daughter cried even harder, as Faith describe nearly dying to save him. She'd do anything for that man just as she would for Regina and Henry, because to her he was family.

Regina cried for all her little girl had to endure. For all the pain, for all the danger, for all the times she nearly died without remembering her family, for all the times she could have left this world without know how much she was loved. As they sobbed against each other on the floor they didn't notice as the door opened and a young boy rushed to them until they felt him throw himself at them with a sob.

Emma watched unnoticed from outside as the little family let out all the years of pain through their tears.

* * *

In the Kitchen the next morning found Regina and Emma in a deep conversation over coffee. It had been an emotional morning for both women, one that followed an emotional, painful night for everyone. Even Emma had some hard truths hit her in the face. Suddenly the quiet of the Manor was broken by a maniacal laugh followed by a yell of, "Get back here you Runt!"

Just then Henry burst into the kitchen laughing as he went to hide behind Emma. Regina looked first at her son before commenting, "Miss Swan I would suggest moving if I were you."

Emma looked first down at Henry before looking in confusion at Regina. Seeing the former Mayor nod her head towards the doorway, Emma looked over to see Faith playfully glaring at Henry. She could see the younger Mills woman's lips pulled back into an animalistic snarl while her normally dark eyes were lit up with mischief that had a hint of annoyance in them.

Faith stalked towards the blonde but Emma noticed that this time it was different from yesterday. Emma shrugged down at Henry saying, "Sorry Kid you are on your own this time." With that she dislodged the boy from around her waist and moved.

Henry's eyes widened as he snarked, "Traitor!" and moved around the island counter as Faith made it to the place he had just been standing. The Mills siblings were standing opposite one another while keeping eye contact.

Henry lunged around his mom just as Faith moved. Once Henry was again on the side with the doorway, he fought the urge to look behind him to his escape route because he knew once he looked away from Faith she was going to pounce.

Faith herself was grinning like that cat that caught the canary as she just waited for the moment she knew would happen. Henry looked behind him and made for the door but not before Faith jumped over the counter. Both Emma and Regina had picked up their coffee mugs moments before the move.

Just as Faith landed she wrapped her arms around her brother's waist and slung him up while playfully gnawing at his neck. Henry squirmed and giggled as she did this, crying out, "Stop it! Hahaha… that tickles, Faith… Stop!"

Faith teased, "Mmmm, Monkey the other, other, other white meat." She playfully demanded, "Say you're sorry."

Emma couldn't help the smile that pulled at her lips as once again Faith proved to be a great big sister. Regina smiled watching this before asking, "What is he apologizing for love?"

Faith moved over while carrying Henry and gave her mom a kiss on the cheek as she replied, "He gave me a wet willy to wake me up."

Regina just chuckled softly. Emma smirked. Henry grinned up at her. Faith rolled her eyes before asking, "Hey mom, I think we should go to Granny's for breakfast."

Regina raised her eyebrow asking in a teasing tone, "What my breakfasts aren't good enough for you? Or is it that a certain waitress will be there?"

Henry started chanting from his place in Faith's arms, "Faith and Ruby sitting in a tree, K-I-S-S-I," he was cut off from finishing because Faith started to tickle him.

Emma felt her eyebrows shoot up upon hearing what seemed to be that Faith had a crush on Ruby. Faith huffed as she replied, "That's not…" She trailed off, her face red, seeing the look on all three faces, "okay that's not the only reason. Angel and Lorne will be there."

Regina smiled, "Very well go get changed, all of you."


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> _**AN:** Hi everyone! Here's chapter 5. It didn't turn out as long as ch 4 so Cmiller and I decided to post it without breaking it. It's still longish so you can have more fun! :)_
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> _We jump back to the scoobs with this one. We thought it important to see their side of things considering what's coming in the next few chapters ;)_
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> _Enjoy...or be sad cuz this one's kind of angsty._

It was insane.

Neither of them could understand how the council would do something like this. Yes, they knew they were a bunch of bastards, but this was too much.

They weren't sure how to feel about the fact that they knew one of the victims. Faith of all people, and the implication that the person they met hadn't been real, but a creation of the council left them confused. Faith had betrayed them, hurt them and conspired with a demon to kill them.

But the woman, who had woken up a few minutes ago, was someone else. Someone still hurt and raw, and angry, but she cried, she looked broken. The Faith they knew would've never let them see her like that. And God what she said the watchers did to her. Torture. Rape…for days.

What were they supposed to think? What were they supposed to do? Especially considering one of the watchers knew, and the other….the one most of them loved like a father, had known something was wrong. Suspected a psychological disorder and didn't do anything about it. Could he have prevented Faith's fall if he'd gotten her help.

Buffy had been shaking in anger at the thought of the council mind raping…and God. Physically as well apparently, slayers and potentials to keep them under control! It could have happened to her, it did happen to Faith and look how under control she turned out to be.

Wesley returned from giving Gunn his file on Faith. The looks he had received from the younger man had been full of barely restrained anger. He hoped Buffy would be capable of the same restrain or he might be in trouble. He watched as Angel spoke with Gunn and Fred on the side for a moment, before the vampire stalked out of the hotel, giving Wesley a murderous glare.

Wesley winced. He was sure any hope he had of making up for Connor growing up in Quor'toth, because of Wesley's stupidity, was completely gone. He knew Angel had come to love Faith like a sister, and Wesley had done her a great injustice. He'd blindly believed the Council when they claimed she had been unstable and dangerous. But was that enough to resort to a cruel outdated practice, he knew required breaking the will of the person it was performed on. He honestly didn't consider how they would have done that. Yes, torture had crossed his mind, but he'd been naïve. He'd assumed it was better than killing her…but back then he didn't know what it was like to be tortured, did he?

Back when Faith had gone rogue, he'd thought the council had been right. That she was dangerous, but now that he knew what the Council was capable of, he didn't doubt every word out of Faith's mouth had been the truth. The pain and anguish in her eyes as she sneered at him that it was the council who first used the five torture groups on her…. Wesley felt like dying. Back then he hadn't known what torture really was like, but after Faith herself had put him through it…and knowing that as horrible as what she did to him was, he still had been capable walking into that alley intent on vengeance, how hard was she really trying to hurt him if he could simply walk away with not even a broken bone, sure he'd been in pain…but there had been no lasting damage.

And yet, he'd been so angry that it didn't sink in that his torturer was a slayer. An unstable, psychotic super powered girl tortured him, but he was completely healthy aside from a few cuts and bruises that didn't take too long to heal. But no alarms rang for him…if anything he'd felt justified in his silence.

…Now he wished he hadn't been so stupid.

He was brought out of his thoughts when noticed Buffy standing in front of him with an angry expression.

"How many?" The blonde slayer snapped at him.

"I beg your pardon?" He asked confused.

Buffy narrowed her eyes in anger. "How many girls was the same thing done to!?" She was seconds away from beating the crap out of Wesley. Giles…she couldn't look at him right now. But Wesley she had no problem letting her frustration out on.

The question felt like a slayer powered punch to the gut. How many girls? The practice had been dropped hundreds of years ago… Why would they bring such an old method back just for ONE girl? There were other methods of rehabilitation, or if it became apparent that it was not possible even death. But why go through all the trouble for Faith unless…

…Unless she was just one of many…

"I-I only knew of Faith…I didn't think…Good Lord! I-I didn't think…" He felt sick… that was the organization he had felt so proud of, so eager to be a part of. Like his father…like the ruthless man Weasley had wanted to make proud…he wondered if his father…but yes, of course he knew. "I-I don't know of any other girls…but...i-if they did. If they did there might be a place to find out…"

Buffy held his gaze for a minute as if to make sure he was telling the truth about not knowing. She was sure he wasn't lying…but she still wanted to beat the crap out of him for not even considering the possibility before. "Where?"

"T-the Council had buildings in almost every major city in the world. Places where watchers could access the Council's archives, and magical resources…there should be one in L.A…but they are magically protected and require passwords I don't have." And if there was one thing the Council was really good at, it was magical protections. Those would have remained even if the First destroyed the main Headquarters in London. He didn't know how they would be able to access the information they needed.

Before Buffy could angrily retort she was interrupted by another British voice.

"I have them."

Buffy turned around to face Giles. "Explain. Now."

Giles sighed. He wondered if he'd forever lost his slayer's…no he thought looking at the accusing eyes around him, everyone's trust. His crime had been, in a way, worse than Wesley's. A part of him wished the younger man had known everything, been a part of it. But that was the selfish part of Giles talking, the part that wished to lessen his own guilt.

"When I returned with the girls, I brought with me all I could rescue from the council's archives, including a list of locations of these buildings and the passwords and spells required to enter them. Most of what I brought with me were valuable books that for matters of security could not be accessed through these buildings' magical point…or more recently…I believe the term is uploaded into the Council's database. I kept the list with me at all times."

Willow wondered when the watchers had decided to become a part of this century, but that wasn't important right now. If there was digitalized information in this place she would get it, and if it was only accessible through magic she would do that as well. Willow felt extremely guilty. The girl she had hated for so long until she herself got a taste of what darkness could do to a person, Faith...she hadn't been real. She'd been a victim of a group of vicious, soulless bastards. And when she came to Sunnydale Willow had treated her like crap.

After she nearly destroyed the world, Willow had a lot of time to meditate on her actions. She retraced her life back until the point she began practicing magic. She knew now that her first spell been such a dark curse on a Hellmouth of all places had twisted a part of her. Right from the beginning her magical path had been the wrong one.

She thought about her life, the people she met, the way she behaved. The way that jealousy and fear of being replaced had turned into hatred for a girl that quite honestly hadn't done anything to her before Willow started to act almost hostile to her. Xander she remembered, only seemed to be able to look at Faith's body…and Buffy? Well she hadn't been very welcoming to Faith until a little before Allan Finch. And while neither of them had known what Faith had gone through at the hands of the council…to be honest not one of them had even bothered to get to know Faith…like she was almost sure they would have had it been someone else. Even to this day Willow was ashamed to admit she didn't know Faith's last name until their talk on the way to Sunnydale a little over a week before, though with the recent revelations she wasn't sure if Faith Lehane was her actual name.

She had decided to make it up to Faith. Try to befriend her, and it seemed to be working. They got along alright and Faith had seemed to realize Willow finally knew what it was like to be on the other side of the line and not even knowing what had caused Willow's fall she had offered to listen if she ever wanted to talk…so Willow did. She spilled everything and Faith had just listened, she hadn't judged like Willow would have in the past, like her friends did in the present. Even before Faith's memories of her real self, came back, Faith had already become her own person, different from the council's creation.

Willow was determined to find out more about what the council did, and if there was anything she could do for Faith. So when Buffy snapped at the watchers and ordered them to take them to the Watcher's base, Willow didn't hesitate to join them.

On the way out Fred and Gunn mentioned Angel might have to take Faith back to her family today. And that if that was the case they would communicate with them. And by the time they reached the building, hacked the database and began downloading all the files on potentials and Slayers, way too many files for their peace of mind, Angel called Fred from the plane taking them to Maine of all places.

It still took until the next morning to be able to download all the information. In the meantime they moved several books and old records about the procedure that dated back to the beginning of the damn Roman Republic, back to the hotel. The council had been doing this to girls back in the B.C's!

It made Buffy want to kill someone. Thankfully, they had managed to distract her enough so she focused her rage away from the Watchers. They needed to focus on finding out how many girls still alive NOW had been though the same. The B.C's and Middle Ages could wait.

Angel and Lorne had communicated with them about the files mentioned in Wesley's notes and Willow had told them about their discovery. The next communication not long after, ended with Dawn's cry of horror.

"Oh my god!"

Willow gasped at the sight of the picture she'd just opened. It was Faith…a very young looking unconscious Faith, she was naked and chained to a wall. There wasn't a part of her body where her skin was intact. Bruises, cuts, burns covered every inch of her skin. There were place where they could clearly see where her bones were broken. They could see bone peaking from one of her shoulders…and Goddess…Willow could see hand shaped bruises on her breast and hips and face…and there was a white substance covering her in places that could only be…

The sound of Andrew running out of Angel's office trying to contain the urge to vomit and obviously failing reached their ears. And suddenly there was chaos in the room. Dawn and Fred were crying, being held by Gunn, Robin, who had insisted on being present despite the order he received of absolute rest was sitting on a wheel chair a few feet away from Willow, he was clenching his fists and glaring at the screen. Giles was shaking; Wesley was pale and breathing heavily. Xander had dropped butt first onto the floor, his eyes never leaving the screen.

And Buffy…Buffy was letting her anger out on the wall. Pieces of it falling with each punch, before she stopped and turned back to them, when Giles suggested reading the files.

"No!" The slayer snapped at him, before looking at Willow. "The video…play the video." She glared at Giles when he tried to interrupt. "The video Willow."

Willow nodded hesitantly "There a-are several of them. I think they record the whole time she was in their power. Here the first one, there doesn't seem to be much going on yet."

The video began with a watcher looking at the camera.

" _February 27_ _t,h_ _1998, 6:30 PM. Today after several months of search we finally located and captured the subject. Potential Slayer 55F2798. The subject was captured in antique store in Portland; she reappeared in our radar this morning, after months of unclear signs of a potential slayer in the state of Maine. It is believed she came to the city from one of the surrounding small towns."_

The man moved the camera to point to an unconscious Faith, strapped to an exam table. She was dressed in blue jeans and a red hoodie. Without the bruises and cuts, she looked even younger.

" _The subject carried a wallet with five hundred dollars and learner's permit. The potential is identified as Faith Mills, 15 years old. She's a very interesting specimen, despite her age and apparent lack of physical training; she almost succeeded in escaping the team sent to capture her, even though she was outnumbered seven to one. Smith, Coleman, and Thomas received a broken nose, a dislocated arm and a broken wrist respectively. Her strength levels were beyond those of a normal potential slayer, yet she seems completely human and not infected by any type of Were beast, according to the tests."_

_The watcher began an examination of Faith's unconscious body, testing her reflexes and taking notes._

" _While, potential Mills does not possess Slayer levels of strength, due to the previously described events and her current muscle mass, above average for a regular potential her age, we are suspicious of what could be the cause. For a while we thought she might have been called, but were informed that both Slayers Summers and Young are currently alive. More tests will be performed during the week, to try and determine the reason for this anomaly. Watcher Thomas suggested the possibility of a relationship between her increased strength and the order of succession; if this is the case we might be making an important discovery in how to identify the next potential to be called. In a few minutes we will proceed to determine her mental strength, and the adequate method to break her."_

The video continued for a few minutes with the watcher getting more technical and taking blood samples from the girl.

Giles and Wesley seem interested in the mentions of Faith's strength as a potential. Buffy on the other hand was breathing hard. The damn watcher was testing her to find out how to…

"Shut up!" She interrupted the two watcher's discussion. "The man just said they were going to find out how to best break her and you are talking about her strength!" What the hell was wrong with them? How many girls were seen as an interesting 'specimen' by this bunch of sick men?

The watchers had the decency of looking ashamed of themselves. The rest of the people in the room glaring at them.

"Will, keep going."

"Alright." And she clicked on the next video. She really hoped the next few videos didn't show everything Faith described but knowing the council and with the detached way the watcher had treated the unconscious girl in the previous video, she was starting to realize that they probably recorded everything.

The video began with the younger Faith chained to the wall and beginning to stir awakening from her slumber. They watched as she tried to get up only to hiss in pain holding her ribs. She was alone in the room and she examined her surroundings.

Her head snapped in direction of where they supposed the door was located as the sound of footsteps echoed in the room. Faith narrowed her eyes and asked in a barely heard whisper.

"… _Mom?"_

No one answered and for the next few minutes they heard the sound of metal hitting the door and the walls over and over, making Faith jump every time. Then wince at the pain on her ribs.

" _Stop it! What the hell do you want!?"_ Came Faith's voice from the speakers. They were surprised to notice not only how much she sounded like a kid, but the lack of her usual Bostonian accent. But then it occurred to them that she was probably not even from Boston at all. Especially, if they were in Maine apparently.

" _Stop this nonsense, immediately!"_ Faith said with authority. What the hell? She sounded kind of regal, maybe? But the noise continued and instead of scaring Faith as they supposed it was intended, it only seemed to make her angry. They had never heard a teenager let out so many insults without a single cuss word. She was good.

Finally about five minutes later the sound stopped and the door opened to reveal a watcher carrying a tray of food…or something that was supposed to be food but didn't quite make it, if the look of disgust on Faith's face was anything to go by. They watched as Faith refused to eat, and kept asking questions. What did they want with her? But it only got her a slap. And Faith instead of keeping quiet kept getting angrier. Slap. They told her to shut up, that she was worthless and didn't deserve to even look at them in the eyes, but she did so in defiance and gave as good as she got with the insults. Slaps became punches, kicks and after a while they didn't bring her anymore food. They just kept the disorientating noise when she was alone in the room and visited her several times a day to repeat the same process of insults and beating.

Faith was bruised obviously starving and bleeding but she still screamed at them that they would rue the day they were conceived once her mother found them.

"Good Lord, why does she keep provoking them?" Giles asked disconcerted. She was only getting herself more pain. "They are not going to stop if she continues…"

Buffy narrowed her eyes at the Faith on the screen. She knew what Faith was doing…because it's most likely what Buffy herself would do in that situation. "They are probably not going to stop anyway…she knows they want to break her, make her submissive, obedient…she's refusing to give them that…"

Willow had to agree. It seemed even the 15 year old, softer version of Faith was unbelievably tough. She thought fondly. Then gulped, because if they wanted to break her and she kept fighting when any other girl would have already given up…they were going to get worse…she already knew they got worse. Willow started to question watching the other videos. But they do…

They grew more horrified by the minute. The next few videos showed Faith tied to a chair being given a lesson on the five basic torture groups, the watcher had said. That had made Wesley wince, and Willow supposed that was probably what Faith had done to him when she tortured him…though not as bad as the watchers in the video used a different group each day for hours…

Every one of the people watching the video were terribly pale by now, and having a hard time keeping their breakfast.

Buffy looked eerily calm. In a way that a slayer almost never was and it scared the hell out of the others. They were afraid she would snap any second and with good reason.

Goddess, thought Willow at the end of the last video, she didn't understand how young Faith still had the energy, the will to glare at the men. The next video labeled Day 7, showed Faith was back to the wall in chains, her clothes torn, bloodied and burnt everywhere, she was bleeding and having difficulty breathing.

They suddenly heard the door open and they couldn't imagine the horror that would follow.

After a week of beating, torturing, insulting, the watchers decided to take it a step further. They enter the room but it's not the usual two or three. The scoobies, watchers and Angel's friends counted about a dozen men in the room. They leered at Faith and begun the usual routine of beating her, cutting her and burning her it seemed like they were going to use several torture groups today instead of concentrating on one…but the presence of so many of them in the room with Faith made everyone watching the video uneasy.

Suspecting what was about to happen, Gunn tried to convince Dawn to leave the room. It was bad enough that she had already seen all the previous torture, but this was going to be too much for the teen.

Dawn refused to leave. She wasn't stupid; she knew what was probably coming. It hurt. It hurt terribly because she loved Faith. She had been angry at her for trying to hurt Buffy, for hurting her mom, but she was a slayer and she had barely hit Joyce with enough strength to knock her out, she didn't do anymore, Dawn remembered Faith trapping her in the closet with a sad smile and a whisper of _"I'm sorry DS…it won't last long I promise."_

She remembered before that how Faith had been the only one of the others who spent time with Dawn and was honest about what happened with the slaying. Faith had treated her more like a sister than Buffy did at times. And now Dawn could see how the council had taken a young girl around Dawn's age and destroyed her. It might hurt, it might never leave her nightmares again but Dawn refused to hide from the truth. She didn't want to be able to forget what Faith went through; she deserved someone to remember how amazing and strong she was. Because Dawn was sure that wherever Faith was right now, she couldn't see her own strength, only weakness for breaking in the end, but Dawn had a feeling that she didn't, not really.

Willow gasped. "No!" As they watched as the watchers began manhandling Faith, touching her in ways no child should be touched, ripping off her clothes and taking off their own. They watched as Faith struggles increased as the violated her…as they practically ganged up on her and did unimaginable, horrible things, as they kept hitting her and kicking her even as the others kept using her broken body for release. And yet it took still several days of the same before it happened.

Fred and Dawn hugged each other, Gunn holding them trying to shield them from the images. Willow was sobbing and hugging herself, her eyes shifting between green and black. Xander had pushed himself against the wall and was biting his fist to keep from screaming or crying or both. Robin had both hands covering his face. Giles and Wesley were openly crying ashamed. And Buffy, she was frozen staring at the screen, forcing herself to keep watching.

They all cringed as they heard Faith finally break. She finally gave in and screamed in pain, begging for them to stop…crying for a mother that would not show up to save her.

When they finally stopped and left her broken, another group entered the room and began…documenting the broken girl. They took pictures and notes and more blood samples. And the scoobies and company couldn't understand how people could be so cruel, so cold to do something like this and then treat it like a fascinating experiment…

The last video showed Faith, once more strapped to a table, surrounded by a circle of sand and candles. The watchers began chanting and after a few minutes Faiths broken body started convulsing against the leather straps holding her down. A yellow light began to gather over her and suddenly enveloped her increasing in intensity…Faith's screams of pain were worse now than when they had been…breaking her.

When it finally ended the watchers casted two more spells on her. Buffy glanced at Willow and saw her glaring at the screen in recognition.

"Will…what did they just do?"

Willow shook her head. "The first one was the memories, I'm guessing. I don't know the spell but memory magic usually comes in yellow…but the last two. Those I know. They are compulsions…they are meant to enforce a specific type of behavior on the subject of the spell…they didn't just alter her memories, the made sure to compel her to act a certain way…" She replied opening the written file. Scanning over the words she suddenly stopped. "Oh."

Everyone shared hesitant look. Giles pinched the bridge of his nose. "What did they want her to do, Willow?"

Willow looked at them teary eyed. "She was to distrust everyone but her watcher, she was to only listen and obey her watcher's commands without question, she was to be suspicious and consider anyone not her watcher or with knowledge of the trigger words, a potential enemy until proven otherwise, or said so by her watcher…she was to isolate herself…and the only thing capable of fulfilling her, giving her life meaning was being the slayer… being the slayer was everything, and she was to live by that nothing else."

"Damn it!" Buffy kicked a chair away from her. It crashed into a wall and broke in pieces with the power of the impact. "Hungry and horny…"

Everyone not present at the bronze the night they met Faith frowned in confusion. Willow and Xander gasped in realization.

Willow stuttered for a second…"It was true…the demon that gives the slayer her powers, it has instincts…and they were…"

Buffy nodded in shame. "Kill, eat, mate." She had tried so hard to deny it. And in the end she had no choice but to embrace it, even if only when no one else was looking…but to be forced to only live by that…not given the chance to control herself, to establish limits on who was driving most of the time, the slayer or the person. Faith had been forced to be on slayer mode 24/7. No wonder Buffy's own instincts were always buzzing and alert whenever Faith was around.

Buffy shook her head and took off to her room. She needed a shower to try and clean herself from what she saw, but it wasn't like she could actually bleach her brain and live.

* * *

By the time Buffy returned she had calmed herself by destroying the shower wall. But the calmness didn't last at all.

On her way back she passed Dawn, on the couch, bandaging one of Andrew's hands and looked at her in confusion only to receive a nod to continue into Angel's office. Gulping she entered the office to find only Willow, Xander, Fred and Gunn near the computer, their faces grim.

"What's going on?" She asked. And was given hesitant looks from the others. "What is it!?"

Willow looked at her in the eyes and Buffy took a step back at the black eyes. The tips of Willow's hair had also turned black, but the veiny look was missing. It was Willow's wince, and her attempts to calm herself down until at least her eyes were back to their natural color that reassured Buffy just a little, that she would not have to fight her friend.

"Travers…" Xander hissed the name in anger. "He gave the order, because he didn't want another Buffy to be called…"

"What!?"

"You weren't dying…you had friends and family and were independent, strong…everything they didn't want in a slayer." Willow clarified with a sigh. "They wanted someone submissive, someone who followed their orders by the letter. They didn't try to kill you because they had another slayer, and you were being successful in containing the Hellmouth. But for the other slayer that wouldn't do, so Travers reinstated the practice of kidnapping and altering the memories of any potential not raised by the council since childhood."

"H-he did it because of me?" Buffy asked trying to keep from throwing up. The council put Faith and God knew how many others through hell, because of her? Because she was good at her job, but refused to be their puppet?

"How many?"

The others looked at each other before Willow answered hesitantly. "Six hundred and fifty nine." She winced at the look of pain on Buffy's face. Willow knew Buffy would feel responsible for them. Even if she said otherwise.

Buffy had to grab a chair and sit down before she passed out. "Six…?"

Willow nodded sadly. "Six hundred and fifty nine…until the First blew them up, anyway." It was what she was about to reveal that made it hard to keep her magic from taking over. "That's the number of girls the procedure was used on…but only three hundred seven of them survived."

Buffy was almost hyperventilating now. "Survived?" She asked with a crack in her voice. How could this? God! How could they…and not everyone lived? Did they torture, rape, break these girls…and most didn't even make it?

"They…they either didn't survive the spell, or they became insane and had to…to be put down…" Like animals…that's what the council considered the girls. Animals that could be used as tools to kill demons and discarded if they were defective…

"Put down!?" Buffy was shaking with rage. How dare they!? She wished she could bring them back and make them feel everything those girls went through…she wished she could rip Travers' to shreds… Buffy finally collapsed sobbing sliding down from the chair and onto the floor…Willow and Xander rushing to her and wrapping her in their arms as she broke down.

It took a while for Buffy to finally calm down enough for them to continue. By the look on their face Buffy was starting to get an idea of what might come. "Will? Were there any…?"

Willow nodded. "Six of them…"

Oh God six…no seven with Faith, went through something like this… "A-are they…alive?"

"Just three…Chao-Ann, Vi…and Kennedy…"

"Oh my God…Willow I'm so sorry!" Buffy said and hugged Willow tightly. "I'm sorry…"

Willow shook her head and smiled sadly. "It's not your fault. I she knows now, but she said she needed to think about if she wants to remember. I'm giving her time to think about it…anyway Vi doesn't want to remember, but Chao-Ann…well apparently Wesley speaks a bit of Chinese, she wants to remember, it looks like she's not even from China, she was born in Chicago…oh, she also broke Wesley's nose…"

Buffy smiled. "Good."

"Giles' too…"

Buffy paused. "I don't know how to feel about that, but is it wrong that a part of me wants to say Good, again?" She truly didn't know what to think when it came to Giles. She knew eventually she might forgive him…but it wasn't really her forgiveness that mattered was it?

Willow and Xander shared a look the shook their heads in unison. "Not wrong."

* * *

"Hey."

Willow looked up from the computer, she was the only one left in Angel's office. The others needed to clear their minds. "Hey, how are you?"

"I-I don't know really. I kind of destroyed some furniture…and it helped calm me down but I still feel like finding more stuff to break…and it's probably going to get worse once I remember…" Kennedy said sadly.

"You want to remember then?" Willow hoped it wouldn't destroy Kennedy. The memories of what the watchers did to break her would likely leave her traumatized. "You sure?"

Kennedy nodded. After what Faith had said, she knew whatever was done to her would be horrible, but…not know about her life…her real life. "I need to know…I know remembering what they did…that's…I- I'm probably going to need help once I do, but I need to know about my past…do I have family missing me? Like Faith? I just need to know…please help me Will." She begged crying.

Willow hugged her, trying to offer some comfort. "Okay. I'll help you."

* * *

The next morning, Buffy, Xander and Dawn, watched as Willow used magic to track Faith the map.

"Well…I can't get an exact location, but I can get us to the town…or just inside of it. It's weird, it's like there's something there keeping me from seeing Faith or most of the town, but it doesn't feel like any magic I've ever encountered." It was really weird. In fact Willow was reluctant to even call it magic, just that something was blocking her…not that she couldn't easily get around it. But still, it was worth investigating.

"Well, then let's go. We have our bags and are ready to go!" Dawn said restless. She wanted to get to Faith as soon as possible. She didn't want Faith to just forget about her. Most importantly…she needed to make sure Faith was okay. She was sure that's what Willow wanted as well. Buffy and Xander? Dawn knew they were still holding a grudge, but were just as worried about Faith as she and Willow, even if they wouldn't admit it yet.

"I don't think it's a good idea-

"Don't." Buffy interrupted Giles coldly. She used a hand to signal him to keep quiet when he tried to talk again. "Robin, Gunn and Fred agreed to take care of things here for a while…THEY are in charge…and you…both of you." She said looking at both watchers. "Will listen to them or leave…I'd recommend keeping distance with the girls…they aren't very happy with you right now…and neither am I."

She nodded at Willow to do her magic.

"Buff-

But whatever Giles was going to say was interrupted by a burst of light. Then they weren't in L.A anymore.

* * *

The Scoobies had just walked towards the Diner called Granny's after walking through the woods. Because whatever had been blocking Willow from finding Faith with magic, also made the teleporting into town difficult not impossible just resistant enough that they didn't appear in town. The gang had found themselves next to a wishing well upon original arrival in town.

Xander had looked around as they had walked into town and found the name of the town rather humorous. 'Storybrooke, sounds like Storybook, huh who would have thought Faith grew up in this small town hamlet.'

Upon entering Granny's, Buffy heard two voices speaking softly over by the counter. The male voice spoke, "Mary Margret, what are we going to do with these new outsiders? And what about this Faith, she could be dangerous to Emma and Henry."

The woman spoke, "David, I don't know about the new outsiders, Ruby and Granny said they seemed nice and as for Faith, I had her in my class during the curse years, she would never hurt Henry."

David replied back, "What about what she did to me?" He gestured to his arm that was in a sling.

Buffy bristled upon seeing and hearing that Faith had harmed a person as she walked up saying, "Excuse me, I couldn't help but hear you say the name Faith. Do you mean Faith Mills?"

Snow tensed before turning saying, "Yes, why? Who are you?"

Willow answered before Buffy could, "Hi, I'm Willow, this is Buffy," gesturing to the blonde Slayer before waving her hand towards the other two adding, "that's Xander and Dawn." Clearing her throat the red head continued, "We're um looking for Faith, you see something bad happened to her about 5 years ago that had just been ratified a couple of days ago. See since you two mentioned curses well, Faith's memory had been twisted into something that made her someone else because of some power hungry men that saw her as nothing more than a tool and…" Willow abruptly stopped babbling at the looks on their faces. She was a bit confused…and maybe a bit high…funny she didn't think that coffee she had yesterday would still be affecting her today.

Snow asked, "So she wasn't lying about having her memories tampered with?"

Both Xander and Buffy's mouths opened as if to answer but Dawn cut in, "No she wasn't." The younger Summers girl was so pale that Snow had to wonder what was entitled for the memory tampering for the young girl to look so sad and broken over something that hadn't even happened to her but to her friend that wasn't even who she remembered.

Buffy cut in with, "How did you get the sling?"

David replied snappishly, "Your friend attacked me!"

Of the four, Buffy and Xander nodded in understanding as if they were thinking maybe the change for Faith wasn't that much if now that she had her memories she would attack the man.

Dawn on the other hand bit out, "Was she provoked?"

David went to speak but Snow sighed, "Somewhat, she had been advancing on the Sheriff who is also her little brother's birth mother and David pulled his gun in protection of Emma."

Willow blinked, "Okay, on the off chance that Faith would be disarming him why would she feel the need too? She's had weapons pulled on her many times before."

David mumbled low that even Buffy almost could hear him, "She was holding Henry."

Buffy baulked, "She was holding her little brother and you pulled a gun on her?"

The other three Scoobies glared at the man because as much as they don't know the setting, well family first, really. Xander then said, "Wait, Faith would have had to use quite a bit of strength to dislocate his shoulder?"

Buffy nodded than yes that would have been the case, but neither saw the look on Willow's face that said something was a little off about the story.

David then added in annoyance, "You don't know what her mother is like. We don't call Regina the Evil Queen for nothing!"

Dawn deadpanned, "Faith's mother is the Evil Queen, what does that make you two Snow White and Prince Charming?" Seriously she was starting to dislike these two.

Snow gave a semi-regal glare back, "Yes, we are. You all said you knew curses, well Regina cursed all of us to this world for 28 years until our daughter Emma, broke the curse a few months back."

Buffy frowned a bit in thought. "Wait…so Faith's a Fairytale character?"

"Yeah, right…" He said before looking at the couple's serious faces in front of them. Xander blinked, "Holy plot twist, Batman…they're serious."

The Scoobies where deep in conversation with the Charmings about Faith, Regina, the watchers and the curse, when the bell over the door rang. The group of six looked up from their conversation towards the door to see four people walk in.

Faith had stepped through the doorway first. The Sunnydalers' mouths fell open in shock as they saw Faith looking as they have never seen her before. The Dark Slayer was dressed to the T from head to toe. Her feet were encased in shined black patent leather boots that were both functional and stylish. Their eyes traveled up Faith's legs which seemed to go on forever as said legs were shrouded in sharply tailored black slacks that came with a matching leather belt. Covering Faith's upper body was a tucked in navy blue satin button up that had the first three buttons undone so that they could see the neckline of her black tank top underneath. To top that all off, Faith also had on a Cashmere black blazer with her hair in waves down her back to complete the look. Faith looked very regal and put together.

"Wow…I think I might be questioning my sexuality, right about now…" Dawn said with raised eyebrows.

Willow nodded. "I just confirmed mine."

If that wasn't enough for the group at the counter, the other three added to the rather startling picture. The young boy that had entered alongside Faith matched her with a navy blue polo, but where Faith had on slacks and boots the boy had on high priced designer jeans and high end trainers. The blonde haired woman, who walked in with her hand lightly pressed against the brunette woman's back, was wearing a deep teal blue button up blouse as well as skin tight jeans. Her hair was done in bouncy princess like curls. But it was the older brunette that gave the Sunnydaler's pause. She was dressed from head to toe, perfectly styled shoulder length dark hair, with a black silk blouse underneath a navy blue vest that came with a matching pencil skirt and pair of 6 inch Prada pumps.

Willow, Dawn and Xander tilted theirs heads admiringly.

Dawn nodded again. "Yup, seriously need to give it some thought."

"I'm getting kind of dizzy…isn't it a bit hot in here?" Asked Willow flustered.

Xander drooled. "Too hot."

All in all the four that had just entered the diner drew quite a lot of attention that no one noticed the two that had entered from the back.

Buffy ignored her friend's banter when she heard Faith's voice, which lacked the Boston accent she was used to, say, "I can't catch a Frakking break!" She watched as Faith lead those that entered with her right past the counter. Now Buffy hadn't expected Faith to welcome them with open arms, but for the Dark haired Slayer to just blow them off, well that didn't sit well with the blonde.

Faith on the other hand lead her mom, brother and Swan over to the back where Angel and Lorne stood mostly unnoticed. Lorne had his collar up and hat down low as the group of four walked over. He spoke first, "Well Sweetpea you're looking rather dashing now aren't you?"

Faith smiled at the demon as she replied, "I'm feeling more myself. Anyway Lorne," she moved over and gently rolled his collar down before taking his hat off and turning him towards Monkey, mom and Swan, "I'd like you to meet, my mom Regina, my brother Henry, and his birth mother Emma." Looking and enjoying the pure shock on Swan and Monkey's faces was worth the reveal of Lorne's skin color as she finished with, "Mom, Monkey, Swan this is Lorne."

Angel stepped out of the shadows as Faith turned to him about to do the same introduction when Regina spoke, shocked. "Oh my god, you… Alistair?"

Both Faith and Angel gave pause as Faith answered, "Um no, Mom this is Angel." Faith gave her mother a look of concern because she could see that her mom could see something that she herself just couldn't see.

Before Regina could speak as to why she called her daughter's savior the name of Faith's father, Henry broke in, "Can I see your vampire face Mr. Angel, Please?"

Faith barked in laughter at the shock on her mentor's face as Monkey was being rather blunt. She let her mother's comment go for now in favor of watching Angel squirm at the million and one questions Monkey had for him.

Just then Buffy cut in, "You told them about Angel?!"


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We are not trying to be mean to David...it's just he makes it SO easy!

Faith turned and gave her sister Slayer a glare worthy of her mother's Fairytale Title, "I'm sorry, was I supposed to lie to my mother and brother. Make sure they didn't know about the night life outside of Storybrooke if they ever left town for any reason or another?"

It was Regina that asked with a condescending and knowing tone, "Faith, love who is your 'friend'?"

Faith flinched a little knowing that once answered her mother was going to figuratively tare into the blonde slayer if only because she had promised not to physically harm any of the Scoobies should they show up. Of course Faith couldn't quite get that same promise for either of the watchers but honestly she hadn't much care one way or the other for the two British men, but for the Redhead and younger Summers Faith wanted them not to be judged as harshly because they did try once the compulsions were gone.

Faith turned away from her staring contest with Buffy moving in front of her mother replying, "Mom the blonde is Buffy," the look on Faith face said please let me get through all the names first before blowing up, "the brunette is Dawn, the red head is Willow and the only male is Xander."

While Faith was focused on Regina, Henry turned to look up at the blonde Slayer before walking up with a boat load of bravado as he pulled his foot back and swung it in a hard kick at the blonde's shin. Buffy cried out looking at the boy, as Faith grabbed him by his shoulders to pull him back all while the boy was glaring up at Buffy. Dawn coughed into her hand to cover her laughter.

What none had noticed was that Emma had come up behind Buffy, the Savior tapped the other blonde's shoulder. When Buffy turned she was greeted with a fist to the face. She had it, it was one thing not to attack the little boy but this blonde woman just hit her with no obvious reason. Buffy pulled her fist back to throw a punch at Emma, but it was stopped, turning to who stopped her to find Faith wearing a snarl as she said, "It's one thing to hit me, Angel or Spike given the three of us can take a punch from you B, but Swan there is human and with the power boost I can literally feel rolling off you, the least amount of damage you would have done to her would have been a broken jaw. The most likely case would have been you breaking her neck upon contacted B."

Buffy paled momentarily before demanding, "How would you know that? Was it when you attacked that man?" Pointing at David.

Faith calmly replied, "I didn't purposefully dislocate his shoulder, in fact I thought I was using less than half my known strength. But really B, the man pulled a gun on me when I was hugging the hell out of my monkey. Excuse me for being protective of my brother."

Dawn immediately stepped between the two slayers. "It's okay. We totally understand. Buffy would have done the same for me. Right?" She said looking pointedly at her sister.

Buffy pouted but nodded. "Right. I would." She said. A part of her wished she didn't have to. She's never liked admitting when she is wrong.

"Good. Then I would appreciate if you didn't assume things without knowing all the facts, Buffy." She said continuing her stare contest with Buffy.

Buffy narrowed her eyes at her. Faith raised an eyebrow but before she could say something she was interrupted by her mother.

"Oh, but love. That's a norm with what did you call them last night? White hats?" Regina asked rhetorically. "They always make assumptions. The assume they are always right, they assume we are always guilty, and only give the benefit of the doubt when it's convenient." She said looking straight at Snow and Charming. She didn't notice Emma wince.

Snow and Charming's hackles rose. "You don't get to say that! Everything pointed to you killing Archie! In fact I still think you did. All this talk of altered memories is a little too convenient, isn't it?" Asked an angry David.

"Yes, Charming I went back in time and had a group of despicable bastards kidnap and alter my daughter's memories, just so I could have evidence in my favor!" Regina's tone indicated just how much she thought of his brain's ability to think.

Emma interrupted before the situation could escalate. "David, that's enough. You've done nothing but jump to conclusions in the last 24 hours. I don't think Regina killed Archie…and until we have more evidence of who did you will, refrain from accusing her, is that clear? This is not the Enchanted Forest, here it's Innocent until proven guilty, and nothing has been proven."

David frowned and made to reply but Emma didn't let him. "That's enough I said. Remember who is the Sheriff here."

Snow gaped at her daughter. She raised her voice. "Emma! Don't speak like that to yo-

She was interrupted by Dawn trying to diffuse the situation before someone got hurt as Buffy and Faith hadn't stopped glaring at each other, and the fairy tale characters weren't keeping things very peaceful either. "So, eh sorry to interrupt but Ms. Mills, why did you call Angel, Alistair?"

Regina turned away from the two idiots and turned her glare half-heartedly on the younger brunette with a deep sigh she replied, "Because that is who he looks like." Moving over towards the souled vampire as she asked, "May I?"

Angel shrugged, "Sure."

Regina then turned to her son asking, "Henry do you mind if I use magic to show why I called Mr. Angel, Alistair."

Henry looked first up at his sister who was still glaring at the blonde Slayer before glancing back at his mother saying, "It's okay, I want to know too."

Regina smiled down at him before tugging her daughter away from that blonde with a glare at the older Summers. With a wave of her hand, Regina used magic on the vampire. As Angel was enveloped by purple smoke, Willow had moved closer in fascination of this different form of magic. She had inhaled some causing the already dizzy red-head to sway a little with a giggle. The smoke cleared and before them was still Angel but he look instead of mid-twenties, which was the age he was turned at, he looked to be middle aged with laugh lines, salt and pepper graying hair and he had some soot smudged on his cheek.

Faith's eyes widen as she softly questioned, "papa?" Turning to her mother, Faith saw the sad understanding in her mom's eyes as Faith finally understood why her mom reacted to Angel the way she did.

The Scoobies jaws dropped hearing Faith call Angel, Papa. Henry looked up in confusion, "Faith what's going on? Mom?"

Faith pulled her eyes away from Angel to answer, "Sorry Monkey, it would seem that Angel is my papa's doppelganger." Before she could add more Faith noticed Willow's face, "Willow are you okay?"

Willow giggled, "I'm nifty. What was that?"

Faith moved over to the red-head with Dawn chuckling, "It would appear Willow that my mother's magic caused you to well appear high." She said...and it was likely true, the red head did inhale a lot of the purple smoke. "Mama Bear, maybe you should check on Willow?"

Regina smiled at her daughter. "Of course, love." She said and stepped towards the redhead. Regina leaned down to check on Willow, "Willow was it? are you alright dear?"

Willow giggled some more, "I'm kind of dizzy *giggle* all that purpley smokey was nice...can you make more smokey? And wow...you're very pretty."

Regina raised an eyebrow.

Faith chuckled at the interaction between both witches. She shook her head and hoping to distract herself from the revelation about Angel, Faith turned to Dawn with a teasing voice, "So you are just now questioning your sexuality Dawn?"

Dawn shrugged, "I had a crush on Spike, you and Xander when I was younger."

Faith smirked, "Well you had mostly good taste."

Willow kept smiling goofily at Regina. "Like really, really pretty...hot even."

"Thank you, dear. I know." Regina smirked at Willow. No one noticed the frown on Emma's face. "But I think you might be suffering from a bit of a magical hig-"

Snow interrupted before anyone else could say a word, "You cheated on my father?!"

Both Faith and Regina looked up at that.

"It makes sense! But of course you would! Not enough with plotting against my poor father, you had to humiliate him by having an affair! How many men did you bring to your bed Regina!? While you were supposed to be faithful to my father!" Snow asked angrily, sure she was right.

Faith stood between her mother and Snow, "What the hell are you talking about?"

Snow replied with a self-righteous tone, "You were 9 when the curse was cast Faith, my father was still alive when you were born."

Faith bit back a sneer as she replied, "Alistair Adian was my papa, but not my sperm donor. That honor belongs to the," pure venom filled the next word, "King Leopold, yes Snow, your 'poor father' was my parental genetic donor, but that was it. He tossed me aside like I was nothing just because I wasn't a male heir!"

At Snow's wide eyed look she continued mockingly. "What? The 'good' King didn't tell you he wanted a son to replace you as heir to the throne? Because he did, it's in his journals Snowball, but he was obviously disappointed, so he decided getting rid of me was better than letting you have a little sister. What's more he made my mom believe I was DEAD!"

Henry listened in shock as he started to learn more about the past. None of this was in his book...not even his sister was in the book, and apparently she was 9 back in the Enchanted Forest...The book didn't say anything about Faith but now he was learning what she meant when she said his mom was there for her once she knew that Faith was still alive.

The more Emma heard about Snow's father, the less she liked him. she knew because of the book that Regina had killed him, but it omitted a lot of information, it seemed. She was going to have to ask Regina about the past because every time she asked Snow, she was told to read the book.

Snow bristled at Faith's exclamation. "You are lying! I would remember a sister and father would have never lied to me!"

"Oh, you would remember?" Regina mocked. "Like you remember me being pregnant more than once Snow?"

Snow stuttered, "You must have used magic to hide it!"

Regina sneered at her, "You are such a naive Princess. You said it yourself that Faith was 9 when I cast the curse...so tell me dear Snow, was I not pregnant exactly 9 years before I cast it? Was the child not supposedly stillborn? Maybe if you stop your idiocy, you'd see that my daughter unfortunately inherited that damn White jaw...no offense love." She directed the last part at Faith.

"It's okay, not much we can do about that." Faith shrugged. Everyone looked form her to Snow over and over comparing their faces. Emma rubbed her own 'White' jaw with her left hand in contemplation.  
Henry suddenly burst out. "Wait! Does that mean you are Snow White's sister and Emma's aunt!?"

Emma's head snapped in his direction. Oh God another long lost relative...at least Faith seemed cool. Though for some strange reason, Regina's daughter being her aunt, made her feel weird.

Faith shook her head in denial. "No, monkey. For me to be her sister, the King would have to be my dad...and other than my sperm donor, he means NOTHING to me. My papa was a blacksmith, not a king. He was the court's best blacksmith, and he was the man who raised me and loved me when Mom thought I was dead. As the King proved with me, blood doesn't mean anything, it's love that binds people as family."

Snow shook her head bewildered. "Wait, THAT Alistair? B-but he died when Regina had his village destroyed and everyone killed!"

Faith's temper exploded.

"Is that what your bastard of soldiers told you? Why in the HELL would my mother attack a village that was loyal to her!?" Faith got right up in Snow's face, "Would you like to know what really happened in that village?" Snow shook her head in denial as Faith continued, "Well too bad, because you are going to learn." As Faith closed her eyes to bring up her memories of what really happened to her village, Henry and Dawn both moved forward and each grabbed one of Faith's hands to lend the Slayer strength, all while Regina placed her hand on her daughters back.

"Papa and I were in the market with Aunt Gwen when a platoon of soldiers carrying the White banner approached Papa demanding he make weapons for the 'rightful Queen' Princess Snow and her Consort Prince James. Papa told them no and said that they were in Queen Regina's territory. Papa had always been proud to serve Mama Bear, said he only had one Queen and that wasn't Snow White. That Queen Regina made sure that his forge would always have work and everything. That she kept bandits and monsters from attacking the villages Leopold never cared for…and funnily enough Snowball neither did you." Clearing her throat Faith leaned back into her mother's touch while giving both hands in hers a light squeeze and she added, "The other men and women of the village jeered at the soldiers and cheered on Papa especially after the news that White soldiers were heading through surrounding villages asking after Papa. My village was protective of our own and Papa had made a name for himself being the Queen's blacksmith and for raising a baby girl a month after losing his wife and stillborn child during childbirth. The Soldiers were furious that Papa would deny their Princess, so the platoon Leader ordered 'By Royal decree of Queen Snow and King James, to execute all those loyal to the 'Evil' Queen' when the villagers cried for the soldiers to leave the village."

Regina stood behind her daughter quaking in anger as she listened to her daughter's point of view on what happened to the village. She couldn't help but feel guilty and remorseful for not getting there in time to protect her subjects or save Faith's papa. Alistair was a good man and one that had she felt an attraction to she could have seen herself feel something for. But in truth the court's blacksmith was one of the few outside her personal guard that knew how the King had treated her. Regina remembered making friends with him and his wife the first year in her marriage to the King. Alistair had been the court blacksmith for a two years before the death of Queen Eva and he had in passing told Regina that Eva would never had stand for the way the King had been treating Regina in her steed. She knew most thought she hated Eva for being compared and found lacking with the late Queen but learning from the blacksmith that Eva was human help Regina deal with the pedestal Leopold and Snow held Eva too.

Faith's voice cut into Regina's thought as she continued her story, "The leader made to cut down Papa but being a blacksmith meant Papa knew how to use a blade and he pulled a dagger to defect the slash, all while two other soldiers grabbed my Aunt Gwen. Most of the adult men of the village tried to fight off your soldiers while the young men and boys lead the women and other children towards the woods or at least attempted too. I don't know if anyone made it out of the village. Aunt Gwen kicked and screamed as the soldiers had their way with her before slitting her throat." Faith looked down at Henry knowing that he really shouldn't be hearing this but after learning what the watchers truly did to her there wasn't much else she could keep him from hearing. She felt a light tug on her other hand causing Faith to look to Dawn and not for the first time sense seeing the Scoobs wonder how much the younger Summers knew about her time with the watchers.

With a deep breath, she continued, "I watched as soldiers defiled my Aunt, cut down my papa and set fire to a number of the huts. They grabbed me, I kicked, I screamed and I fought until suddenly "I'm on the ground as men in black armor crash into and fight off the White soldiers. I look up to see what I thought was a vengeful Angel come down to smite each of the Soldiers that would dare attack my village. This beautiful Angel stepped in front of me, it was then that I realized that it was the Queen. She apologized for not getting there fast enough to save Papa but she told me she was my mama and that she would take care of me. And she would try to honor Papa's memory. And she did. This supposedly Evil woman took care of me, loved me and never once failed me, like your damn family always did. Your father discarded me, like I was trash, made a deal with the Dark One to make everyone remember I was born dead...and you? You have the blood of most of my family in your hands."

Snow shook her head frantically in denial. Her gaze passing over the shocked faces of Emma and Henry. No it couldn't be right she would not let these lies continue and hurt her relationship with her daughter and grandson. NO! she was lying! Snow only ordered executions of evil despicable people, not innocent villagers!

"That's right Snowball, don't look at me like that...what? Did you think only soldiers and evil monsters were loyal to her? Didn't occur to you that she actually took care of those who were loyal? What about the villages at the edge of the forest your father dismissed as unimportant? She gave them roads, trade, lower taxes, protection. They gave her their loyalty. How many Evil Queen supporters do you think your good soldiers massacred by your Royal decree? This town is supposed to have everyone in the kingdom here...sure there weren't as many people there as in this world but don't you think there should be more people here? Storybrooke should at least be a small city...and yet here we are. All those villages 'destroyed by the Evil Queen'? They were your doing." Faith had let go of Dawn and Henry's hands as she pushed off her mother's hand and stalked towards Snow but just before she could get there. There was a twang of a bow string that broke the dead silence as an arrow was released from it. Without looking away from Snow's face, Faith's hand snapped up and caught the bolt. She broke eye contact and looked at the crossbow bolt in her hand before looking right at the older lady with the crossbow,

"Was that necessary Granny?"

Granny looked shocked at seeing a grown up little Faith Mills grinning cockily at her while twirling the bolt between her fingers. Placing her crossbow down, Granny moved towards Faith with impressive speed. The elder lady scooped Faith up into what, had Faith not been a Slayer, would be a bone crushing hug.

Regina noticed Emma cradling her hand to her chest but before she could go over and talk to the savior a squeal from a certain waitress brought her attention back to her daughter. Regina watched with mild amusement as Ruby jumped over the bar and barreled into Faith, giving her daughter quite the hug. What the former Queen found even more amusing was the bright red blush painted on her daughter's face that was only matched by that goofy 'White' smile that Faith seemed to share with Snow and even Emma though only Faith seemed to have the deep dimples.

"R-Ruby! H-Hi, I you...missed y-you."

The shock of seeing Faith blush and stutter , and not just a light blush either, broke Willow out of her magical high, caused Xander to gape, Dawn to giggle, Angel and Lorne to smirk, while Buffy rolled her eyes with an annoyed frown on her face.

Once the excitement calmed down and Faith could form an actual sentence again, Regina caught Emma's wrist and examined her hand, "You know I appreciate that you felt you need to defend my daughter but really dear, your impulsive decision was much too like your father." She said before slowly healing the bruises.

Emma smirked with a shrug saying, "It wasn't impulsive. I was going to do it anyway, I decided that last night." Locking eyes with Regina, Emma conveyed that she wasn't kidding.

Watching her mother and Swan in a deep eye conversation, in an attempt to avoid looking at Ruby, Faith leaned down to Henry asking, "Monkey, is that staring contest a common thing?" Henry just nodded causing Faith to internally chuckle as she thinks 'mama bear this means payback.'

Oh yes, after all the teasing she endured over the years, there was finally someone she could tease her mom about. She cackled madly in her mind. But only let out a smirk on the outside.

Snow watched as Faith and Henry had a whispered conversation, then moved her gaze to Granny and Ruby who were smiling at Faith like Christmas had come earlier. It made her remember that Faith Mills was a generally popular and loved person...she wondered how this would change now that the curse was broken...she honestly didn't know what to think...everything she said... no maybe Regina put all those ideas into her head, she remembered the wonderful child she'd had in class for many years before...before Regina adopted Henry? Yes, that child while not close to Mary-Margaret had been a nice loving person...not...not angry and hostile like she'd seen today...it must be Regina's fault...right?

Dawn and Willow had their own whispered conversation about Faith's obvious crush on the tall waitress. "You know...I can't really blame her. I mean look at her...wow."

Willow giggled. "So that's three instances of you ogling women in the last half an hour...you sure you actually have to think about it? Or should we start planning your coming out party?"

Dawn rolled her eyes at her. It wasn't her fault fairytale characters were all so pretty. "No we shouldn't...uh...yet anyway. It's not my fault we are in the same room with...uh"

"So, much hotness? I know. I wonder who she is...the waitress I mean. What character is she?" Willow asked while trying to keep her eyes on said waitress face. She didn't want to anger Faith, after all. "It's funny, it seems like all the people we've met so far are really, really good looking, I mean did you see Faith's family? Even the little kid is so cute!"

Dawn agreed. "Yup, he'll probably be a hottie when he grows up."

Xander on the other hand had never been this conflicted before in his life. The guilt after learning and...watching what Faith went through was warring with his anger at everything she did. But was it really her? They read the files. Most of her behavior had been programed by the council...how much of what happened in back in senior year had been her fault? She'd been a...oh my God! She'd been a child! Holy Crap! She'd been 15 a few months before Kendra died! Was she 15 or 16 when he openly lusted after her, and then had sex with her? Did it matter? She was a minor and he'd been over 18! Oh God what had he done!? After what the watchers did to her, he went and did the same! And even though he came here to make sure she was alright, as soon as that Prince guy opened his mouth, Xander was all against her again...and then more revelations of her past that just seemed to get worse and worse!

Xander paled at his thought process...he needed to lie down for a while...rest...yes, things would be clearer after a nap...a very long one.

Snow couldn't hold her thoughts in for much longer she asked, "The Faith I remember was such a sweet child, what turned you into this angry, hostile person? Was it Regina?"

Willow and Dawn grimaced as Faith turned from her conversation with Henry, "What are you talking about?"

Ruby cut in, "Snow!"

"No, Ruby, I want to know." Snow bit out.

Willow was the one to interrupt with, "Faith, you don't have to tell them."

It was then that Faith nodded in understanding as she realized that the Scoobies had found the files on her and know to what extent the Watchers went to break her. She wasn't sure how she felt about that, but she couldn't really do anything about it now. Snow however had no right to demand anything from Faith. Especially by once again blaming Regina.

Faith chuckled bitterly. "The Faith you remember was kidnapped, broken and made believe she was a different person. I won't tell you how...I don't owe you any explanations Miss Blanchard. Especially when every other sentence out of your mouth is Regina's fault. Go get yourself another scapegoat, you BOTH did horrible things in the past, no matter how much you tell yourself you have the moral high ground." Faith said tiredly. So much for having breakfast with her family...oh and Swan.

"No, my mother had nothing to do with it. I don't know if you remember, but I was kind of gone for the last five years...and if you think I'm being angry and hostile? Huh, well most people in this room will tell you I'm being kinda sweet actually." Faith said signaling to the scoobies and Angel.

They all nodded in agreement.

"She's being all nice and cute, and blushy-

"Lil' D!" Exclaimed Faith, said blush covering her face and neck.

"Sorry, sorry. But yeah, I haven't seen much hostile today, just really annoyed Faith."

Snow shook her head. They were all playing games! She was serious here. "No, you can't just, even if Regina had nothing to do with it, you were gone and we need to know what happened, if you are a threat."

Faith made to open her mouth, but was interrupted by Henry who stepped in front of his sister surprising the Charmings. "NO! Shut up! She doesn't have to tell you anything! You can't make her go through that again! I won't let you!" He wouldn't let anyone make his sister break down like she did last night. He couldn't change the past but he could make her think of other things, good things, happy things. He'd do anything to make her smile and not think of those horrible things.

Snow tried to reason with him. "But Henry it's importa-

Emma stepped forward this time. "Mary-Margaret stop it. You don't have to know...I know what happened and if you can't trust Faith then trust me, this is something personal for her and there's a limit to what you have to know, so stop pushing."

"Faith?" Angel, once more looking like himself asked from behind her. "They could have the file I brought with me and I'm sure Willow can explain the whole Council/Slayer situation to them. You saw the file there's nothing personal there, they'll calm down and you don't have to talk about it." He said looking at her in the eyes. They both knew Snow wouldn't stop pushing...and as complicated as things were at the moment, antagonistic white hats were the last thing they needed.

Faith nodded. "Alright they can read that one." She hugged Henry to her then turned to Snow and the Scoobies. "So, now Snowball is getting her answers, is there anything else anyone wants to bring up? Or can I finally have breakfast with my family for the first time in years?"

The scoobies, and even Snow looked down guiltily.

"Alright! That's enough! Faith, dear why don't you and your family sit in your favorite booth? Ruby will take your orders, it's on the house child. As for the rest of you if you try to interrupt them you will meet my crossbow! If you have any complains the door is THAT way." With that Granny turned around and returned to the kitchen. "Take their orders Ruby!"

Emma turned to Faith and said. "I guess I should, just leave you to your breakfast..."

Faith shook her head. "Nah, that's okay. You're not so bad Swan, I guess I could get to like you... someday. There's already a member of my family who really likes you." Faith said fuzzing Henry's hair but her eyes sneakily looking at her mom whose own eyes widened. "Besides, you already have the animal related name or nickname for the zoo table."

Emma blinked. "Zoo?"

Faith smirked at her, before pointing at each of the people she wanted to have breakfast with. "Yup, Mama Bear, Monkey, Swan, Fang and Horns."

"And Faith's Fire Widow! You know Widow like the spider and fire...well because fire's awesome! I gave her that nickname for Halloween years ago!" Said Henry from Faith's side.

Emma smiled. "Well, okay tha-

She was interrupted by David's booming voice.

"HE'S GREEN!"


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> _**AN:** Hey everyone! This chapter turned out to be longer than we thought, but unlike with previous chapters, we just couldn't find a good place to break it so here's a little treat for you. 22 pages._
> 
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> _Enjoy! There's some Mills family feels ahead._
> 
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> 
> _And then it goes to- *is gagged and dragged away by co-autor*_

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The entire table tensed at the exclamation. Before Faith gave a mock surprised face and turned to Lorne saying, "You're green. How could you not tell us Lorne!?" The comment was so full of melodrama that Emma could do nothing but laugh even with her father being the butt of the joke.

Lorne looked down at his hands before exclaiming, "Oh Precious, I have never noticed this before!"

The Scoobies were giggling even Buffy and Xander were grudgingly laughing, watching Faith and Lorne playing on Lorne's skin color was fun to watch.

Faith and Lorne did keep it light, they didn't want to start another argument, or offend Emma who was sitting with them, even if she did seem to enjoy the banter.

Regina smiled watching her daughter and her friend banter back and forth about Charming stating the obvious. Angel shook his head before interrupting, "Not that I'm not enjoying the atmosphere but enough from the peanut gallery so that you can eat." He chuckled at the pair of pouts he got from both of his friends.

Regina smiled at the interaction between them. It was good to know that her daughter wasn't completely alone, and had people who cared for her while she didn't have her real memories. The fact that Faith's savior and friend looked so much like Alistair brought a bit of peace to Regina, maybe it was a sign that somehow Alistair was still watching out for Faith.

"So, Mr. Angel can you show me your vampire face?" Henry asked again. Just because everyone started fighting after he first asked didn't mean he forgot about it.

Angel raised his brow before shrugging and giving Henry what he had original asked for. All the fairytale characters watched as the man's face shifted from human to inhuman. Henry rocked back in his sit for a minute before shooting forward to touch the ridges on Angel's forehead.

The boy grinned, "That's so cool. What does it feel like? Do your fangs drop? Can you lose your fangs like you would teeth? Do you have feeling in the ridges?"

Emma was in shock. So what she had seen years ago HAD been a vampire...God, she wondered how many times she had been close to dying while living on the streets. If what Faith said was true then Emma had no idea how she had survived for so long before and right after prison, before she picked herself up and got a job and a place to live. She really needed to ask Faith more about what goes bump in the night or she might never feel safe outside of Storybrooke again.

Faith smirked as her little brother gave rapid fire questions to her mentor. She started to think about what she had learned. And Faith found it harder to look at Angel and not see her papa. It caused her to think of the one time before the Mayor but after Finch that Angel almost got through to her even with the compulsions. Was that because he reminded her of her papa? Even if she didn't remember him? It wasn't out of the question, the Mayor had been able to gain her trust by emulating her mom's behavior with her. If she was right Angel could have stopped her from falling but once the Watchers crashed the party, the compulsions did their job and caused Faith to not trust the vampire then.

Granny moved over and dragged David away, when it seemed the man was going to interfere when he saw Angel's face change. She commented, "Ruby and I knew they were non-humans but they paid for their room up front and were courteous while doing so. So David leave them alone to eat or face being on the receiving end of my crossbow." She narrowed her eyes at him.

Snow looked over saying, "I can't believe they both are non-human...the man looked normal just a few seconds ago." Snow had been listening to Willow explain what the Council was and what a Slayer was for a few minutes so that the file she had been given to read would make more sense. But she only said there was magic and supernatural creatures outside of in this world and the Slayer was a super powered warrior whose job was to slay dangerous monsters, and protect this world. The council had been supposed to help them but became corrupted and viewed the slayer as a tool. Willow said they should probably wait until Faith and the others left and have a more private conversation so she could explain in detail. In the meantime Snow could read the file Angel gave them.

Angel was having a little too much fun being accepted for who and what he was. But he did notice that Faith was deep in thought.

"I don't understand..."

Regina tilted her head in confusion. "What is it, love?"

Faith looked at her mother before returning her gaze back to her mentor. "I don't understand how I didn't see it before, I mean yes, I didn't remember a few days ago but after I woke up I still didn't see it...and I still don't get how is it possible in the first place that you look so much like my papa...are you related to him somehow? His reincarnation? Just a freak coincidence?"

Angel shook his head. "I don't know. I'm 277 years old, I don't know how any of those would be possible."

"Well your age wouldn't necessarily mean anything. Portals between worlds don't always follow the rules of time. That's not to say that you are Alistair's reincarnation, you could be related to him somehow. Since there is magic in this world after all, the possibility of portals opening between our world and this one with more frequency is not so farfetched. For all we know Alistair or some of his ancestors could have come from this world or instead you or your ancestors could be originally from the Enchanted Forest, it could also be that you are not related at all and you are simply doppelgangers, or that this world and ours are parallel with each other, I haven't seen this but I have heard of realms where people have found versions of themselves living completely different lives." Regina said in contemplation.

Henry looked at her fascinated. He didn't like what magic had done to his mom, and wasn't sure that he could trust it, but the theories where fascinating and exciting, like his comics...and well it sounded a lot cooler than fairytales, not that he would say that out-loud. He didn't want to hurt anyone's feelings. "What do you mean? Could there be like another Henry out there?"

Regina nodded at him with a smile. It had been a long time since he had looked at her like that, hanging to her every word. "Exactly dear. Imagine I hadn't been the person who adopted you, you probably wouldn't be named Henry and you would live in another town, like different things..."

"So there could be a world out there where my name is Humphrey or Melvin and I'm a nerd from Kickapoo, Kansas?" Henry asked almost horrified.

"Just because you said it, it probably exists." Faith chuckled. "Well, lucky for you, your name's Henry and you are a nerd from Storybrooke, Maine...at least you are a smooth nerd, monkey. I taught you well."

They were interrupted when Ruby brought their breakfast over asking, "Is there anything else I can get you all?" Ruby placed her hand on Faith's shoulder causing the Slayer to blush a little again.

Faith narrowed her eyes at Willow and Dawn who were giggling at her across the room. Clearing her throat she smiled shyly at Ruby. "I fine Ruby...t-thank you."

The others shook their heads telling the waitress they didn't need anything. Ruby smiled at them and told them to call her if they needed anything, before squeezing Faith's shoulder and smiling brightly at her. "I'm really glad you're back, Faith." Then she turned around and walked to take an order at another table, leaving behind a very dazed slayer.

"W-what were we talking about?" Faith asked still blushing.

Everyone at the table chuckled at her.

Emma decided that she would ask Henry or Ruby more about this crush of Faith's...well she wouldn't outright ask Ruby just ask her about Faith, as she wasn't sure if the waitress knew about Faith's feelings.

Regina smiled fondly at her flustered daughter. "Alternate realities, love. And the possibility that Mr. Angel is somehow related to your father. Though to be honest, whatever the real reason is..." She turned to face Angel. "Mr. Angel I'd like to thank for everything you've done for Faith. She tells me that you not only saved her life...you saved her soul." Regina said not even trying to hide the tears in her eyes. "And I will ALWAYS be grateful. I swear to you that if you are ever in need of anything I can provide, all you have to do is ask."

Angel looked a little embarrassed. "Please call me Angel, Ms. Mills. And really there's no need to thank me, Faith's my friend but she's also family. She's like a little sister to me, and I'd do anything to help her."

They were all surprised to hear Faith sniffing and wiping her teary eyes before she went to the other side of the booth and gave Angel a hug. "Thank you, you are like a big brother to me too." They hugged not noticing Buffy's glare from across the room. "You were there for me when I needed you the most, and even now that you know that the person you met wasn't real you are still here, you helped me and made sure I found my mom and monkey again."

"Well, there it is M- Angel. You do deserve our gratitude and you have it, besides what kind of Queen would I be if I didn't at least do something for you after everything you've done for Faith? In fact...while you are staying in town both you and Mr. Lorne are welcome to our guest rooms at home."

Henry nodded excitedly. "Yes! Please Mr. Angel say you'll come stay at our home! I'll show you my room and tell you all the embarrassing stories of things Faith did to get Ruby to like her!"

Emma winced at the way Henry referred to the manor as home. She already understood he had a family, but it still hurt that his home wasn't her home. Is this how she had made Regina feel by involving herself in Henry's life?

Faith's head snapped in his direction. "Monkey! Don't you dare...I'll show him all the pictures and videos we have of you streaking around the house while we tried to get you dressed on weekends!"

Henry gasped. "You wouldn't dare!"

Faith raised her eyebrows at him. "You babble about my embarrassing moments, I'll show everyone yours...it's not my fault you always refused to wear clothes on weekends."

"Ugh. Fine, but I get stories of you guys saving the world...and the location of one of your stashes of chocolate, they should have been preserved by the curse, and it hasn't been too long since it broke so they should still be eatable."

Faith laughed. "You've really given that some thought haven't you, monkey?"

"Well, yeah. I've spent years looking for your chocolate and I couldn't even find one bar!" Henry exclaimed annoyed.

Faith smirked. "You get the stories and one chocolate bar."

"Three!"

"Two."

"Deal!"

Emma gaped at them and turned to Regina. "Are they always like that?"

Regina nodded. "All the time dear, that's why I always kept an eye on the amount of sugar they consumed and made sure to prepare healthy food. If it was in their hands I would have had to roll them to school...which reminds me. Faith love...you mentioned you didn't finish school..." Regina asked raising her eyebrows at her daughter.

One thought crossed Faith's mind.

Shit.

"Now don't look at me like that, love. It's not like I'm asking you to start over, you had already skipped a couple of years..."

Faith sighed. "And you want me to get my diploma. Isn't there a way I can get it without having to go to school? Just tell me, who do, I have to threaten..." She finished flashing her dimples.

Regina tried very hard not to melt but after so long without her little girl, her tricks were even more effective, Regina would have to work on her resistance to such tactics. "Oh...very well we will talk about this later, there might be something we can work out with the school...after all yours is a special situation."

Faith smiled- "And if it doesn't work can I threaten the principal? Please? She made my life hell!" She said pouting at her mother's look.

"We'll see." Regina smirked. "Anyway, Angel and Lorne are welcome at the house, why don't we finish breakfast and help you with your things?"

Lorne smiled at Regina. "Well, that would be amazing, Sweet-pea. But most of our things and all of Faith's clothes are back in the building we stayed at last night."

Faith pouted. "You couldn't bring my things with you?"

Angel frowned at her. "You bought half the mall Faith...we couldn't exactly bring everything here."

Faith snorted. "I didn't buy that much...I just couldn't decide on some things; besides I needed a whole new wardrobe...I wanted to look good for my family..."

"*cough*and Ruby*cough*" Regina faked a cough smirking at her daughter.

"Mom!"

Emma looked at Regina wide eyed. She had never seen the Mayor act so carefree. Sure she'd seen her joke and sass, but there was always sarcasm or malice under the surface, but in this case the teasing was full of love...and quite honestly it was beautiful. Emma shook her head. Where did that come from?

It didn't take long for them to finish breakfast.

While her mother took care of the bill, Faith and Henry approached the table with the scoobies. "Hey."

Dawn jumped from her seat and threw her arms around Faith. "Are you okay?" She asked in a whisper. Faith hugged her back and nodded.

"I'll be fine...eventually. I just want to spend sometimes with my family, you know. Oh this is my little brother Henry...hopefully this time no one will get hit." Faith said as the ended the hug before throwing her arm around Henry's shoulder. She then turned to the others and smiled at Willow who waved happily at her.

Dawn nearly squealed at the cuteness of badass Faith hugging her little brother. But instead she just smiled brightly at him. "Hi, Henry, I'm Dawn!"

Henry cleared his throat, a little almost unnoticeable blush on his cheeks. "It's nice to meet you, Dawn." He said trying to smile charmingly at her.

Faith smirked at him, before directing her attention back at the others. "Look, guys. I know you probably want to talk, and I'm really curious about the power boost B and I apparently got, but I was wondering if maybe we could wait for a few days. Things are a little overwhelming at the moment and like I said I'd like to spend some time with my family before, things get more complicated."

Before Buffy could open her mouth, Willow interrupting her, "Oh, of course! Don't worry Faith, take all the time you need." She smiled at Faith and hugged her before Faith and her brother joined their family and Angel by the back door.

The blonde pouted. It's not like she was going to say something mean, she was going to agree...just make sure it was only a day or two. She watched Faith talk with her mother...pleadingly? Was that? Was Faith pouting and being cute? Er...UN-Faith like, that's what she meant. She watched with a strange feeling in her gut as the older woman...the Evil Queen of all people, looked at Faith like her mom used to look at Buffy...like she was a precious thing. She wasn't sure how she felt about that...

"OH, Purple Smokey!" Willow gasped after Faith waved at them, before grabbing onto her family and disappearing in a cloud of purple smoke along with Angel and Lorne.

* * *

In the abandoned building the purple smoke cleared, to have the six to reappear on the stage of the theatre. Faith and Henry both cheered, "That was awesome and so cool."

Lorne hummed his agreement while Angel just smirked. Emma herself was a little disoriented because going from one place to another via purple smoke is a little weird. Regina watched the different reactions to the poofing with a certain level of amusement.

Lorne stood on the stage humming lightly before turning to Regina, "Hey Honey-Bun, why was this place shut down?"

Regina raised her eyebrow at the nickname but the look on both Faith and Angel's faces said it was normal so she sighed, "It was a painful reminder." At the look of question on three of the five faces looking at her while Henry and Faith's faces just seemed sad, she added, "Faith used to play here for 18 yrs before Henry joined the family, and when she started to age with him. She started to bring him here."

Faith smiled sadly as she hugged her mom. She had remembered that for years she and Henry would explore and play in the building, this was where she had taught Henry to swim, bowl, and even play pool. But it was a place that they had only really come to in the winter after the Monkey's 5th birthday when she and Marco had a wooden playground built on the beach. Faith remembered Henry's face when he had first seen it. Thinking on this Faith turned to Henry asking, "Hey Monkey do you still go to the castle Marco and I built for you?"

Henry looked first at his sister then his mom before answering, "It was torn down." Henry couldn't quite understand the pain that filled his mom's eyes at the mention of his castle. He was still somewhat mad at her for tearing it down.

Faith asked, "What happened to it?"

Regina cleared her throat as she answered, "It was hit during a pretty bad storm, and I had the rest of it taken down."

Angel, who had been pretty quiet throughout, asked, "Why? There seems to be more than it just being because of a storm."

Regina closed her eyes tightly. "I…it hurt to see it, but Henry still spent a lot of time there. It was something that belonged to just the two of you. It was comforting that he hadn't forgotten about you even though he was so young when you disappeared…but then…" She trailed off unable to continue.

Emma was the first to connect the dots as she hung her head with a quiet, "Shit." Looking up the Savior locked eyes with the former Mayor, "I'm guessing that Henry having me there kind of made it no longer their," gesturing at both Henry and Faith, "place to go?"

Regina gave a tight nod as Henry got it. He realized that by bringing Emma to his castle after the first time she found him there made it no longer his and Faith's place at least not to him mom's mind. To his mom Emma had stained the memories she had of the place being where her children when in the summer to play.

Lorne gave an understanding smile before humming a lighthearted tune. Both Angel and Faith felt that familiar calm take effect from Lorne's humming. Henry and Emma felt their guilt and sadness lessen. While Regina tensed a bit at the fact that the sound was actually having a calming effect on her. She asked, "Are you using magic when you hum?"

Lorne stopped for a second before replying, "No Beautiful, music is its own kind of magic. It can incite crowds with adrenaline, or calm a raging person. Music just has that sort of effect on all." Turning towards the seats of the theatre Lorne added, "Speaking of, this place has amazing acoustics. So, how about a song?"

Angel grinned knowing that Lorne defiantly was not talking to him. Faith chuckled because she should have known that he was about to do that. While Regina, Henry and Emma looked confused, Faith asked, "Why you want to read each of us don't you?"

Lorne smiled back, "But of course Faithy-kins, I mean you're aura is much more settled than last time and I would love to know what may or may not happen now that you seem more balanced. And I want to see if those amazing pipes are genetic."

Henry asked, "Why would you need us to sing?"

Angel answered, "It is how his ability works. You sing for him and he can get a read on you. It is usually personal stuff but sometimes it has seer like qualities but that's only sometimes for the most part he gets feelings."

They all stood there uncomfortable for a bit before…

" _ **I know that your powers of Retention are as wet as a warthog's backside,**_ " Faith sang in her lower register because she thought why not. The Lion King has always been her favorite Disney movie, " _ **But thick as you are pay attention! My words are a matter of pride. It's clear from your vacant expressions the lights are not all on upstairs. But we're talking Kings and Successions; even you can't be caught unaware.**_ " Faith went through the whole song before smirking at her mom and monkey as if challenging them to give it a go before joining Angel and Lorne in the front row to enjoy the rest.

Henry took center stage not to be upstaged by his big sister, " _ **I'm gonna to be a mighty King so Enemy's beware!**_ "

Faith called up, " _I've_ _never seen a King of Beast with quite so little hair._ "

" _ **I'm gonna be the mane event. Like no King was before, I'm brushing up on looking down. I'm working on my ROAR.**_ "

Emma gave the next Zazu line, " _Thus far a rather uninspiring thing_ _ **.**_ "

Henry playfully glared at his sister and Emma before continuing, " _ **Oh I just can't wait to be King. No one say do this.**_ "

Regina teased Henry with, " _Now when I said that-_ "

" _ **No one saying stop that.**_ " " _What you don't realize_ " _ **"No one saying see here.**_ " " _Now see here!_ " " _ **Free to run around all day. Free to do it all my way!**_ "

The boy stopped upon seeing his mom's face at the last line. He could hear both Emma and Faith cackling at his expense but really he put on his most deadly variation of puppy eyes and pouted at her. Emma had to admit that Regina's face was priceless as Henry had finished the verse he was singing.

Regina gave Henry a look that said we will be covering this later before chuckling at her choice. Deciding to go with a song her children had always prompted from her whenever they would watch the movie, " _ **I admit that in the past I've been a nasty. They weren't kidding when they called me well, a witch. But you'll find that nowadays, I've mended all my ways. Repented, seen the light, and made a switch to this.**_

_**And I fortunately know a little magic. It's a talent that I always have possessed, and dear lady, please don't laugh. I use it on behalf of the miserable, the lonely and depressed (pathetic).** _

_**Poor Unfortunate souls.**_ "

Emma stood there slack jawed Regina's singing voice, on top of the former Evil Queen belting out a Disney song. Seriously was the woman perfect at everything Of course not to be out done by the three prior the Savior picked a song that was both ironic and fitting, " _ **I'll find my way, I can go the distance. I'll be there someday, If I can be strong. I know every mile, will be worth my while. I would go most anywhere to feel like I belong.**_ "

Lorne listen to each of them before talking quietly with Faith before calmly stating, "Ladies, I'm going to need to hear you two sing together please."

Faith grinned, "I'm picking the song." She then pulled out a coin and flipped it. Catching the coin saying, "Its heads so you two will be sticking to the Disney theme we all had and Hercules theme that Swan had. You will be singing 'Won't say I'm in Love'."

Both attempted protest before Emma rolled her eyes and started, " _ **If there's a prize for rotten judgment. I guess I've already won that, no man is worth the aggravation. That's ancient history, been there, done that!**_ "

Regina jumped in before anyone could do the muse's part, " _ **I thought my heart had learned its lesson. It feels so good when you start out. My head is screaming get a grip, girl. Unless you're dying to cry your heart out.**_ "

Faith raised her eyebrows impressed.

Henry tilted his head in thought. He sensed something strange…he looked from his mothers to his sister and back again. Oh… "Whoa…cool…"

"Excellent! Your voices complement each other beautifully!" Lorne said clapping his hands. He seemed strangely giddy.

"So, Lorne what did you see?" Asked Faith. She was very interested in Lorne's sudden giddiness, she was sure it had to do with her mom and Swan.

"Now, Doll you know that's private. Why don't we all go back to the room with the couches and I can tell each of you what I saw privately, hmm?" Lorne said a bit calmer. It had been interesting to read all of them, even if what he saw wasn't very clear. At least they all had good singing voices, which was always a plus.

Faith pouted and they all left the theater part of the building. Once they reached the room with their…bags, Lorne led Faith to a couch in the corner.

Regina and Henry looked at them interested and hoping to catch at least a few words. Emma moved closer to Angel.

"Why can't he just tell us all?"

Angel shrugged. "Lorne prefers to tell each person privately, sometimes what he sees it's too personal or delicate and might not be for everyone else's ears. It can be something simple but other times it's life changing so…"

Emma frowned. "Life changing? Like destiny stuff?" She really hoped she wasn't going to get even more stuff on her shoulders. Sometimes…well most of the time she was fighting the urge to run from all this savior stuff, sometimes she longed for the simpler life she used to have…

In the corner Lorne stopped Faith before she could ask. "No, no gorgeousness. You know I can't tell you other people's secrets, even if they are all your family…or will be." He said that last part with a wink, and Faith smirked getting the clue. "What I can tell you is that you my dear, is that your aura is looking a lot better today. Less conflicted. It seems both of you are settling, merging actually…or Lehane is calmer now she's helping you. There were lessons learned as her that you will need. You are no longer the same girl you used to be, what you've been through left its mark but the same experiences you had as Faith Lehane and having your family back keep you grounded."

Faith frowned at that. She knew she couldn't try to be the same girl the council kidnapped. Sure she was still here and the one driving at the moment. But she used to be innocent, brighter, naïve. Not to say she wasn't strong, or the watchers would have had an easier time breaking her. But she was sure that without Lehane's memories she would be a complete mess right now…too traumatized to interact well with others. Lehane for all she did had learned, and had become stronger, better. Not just physically but mentally and that was real even if her memories weren't. And it was that strength that Mills was using now…that was becoming a part of her.

God, she wished Archie was around to talk. They needed to find out who killed him and framed her mom…and then she guessed Angel could help some but she knew she was going to need professional help. There had to be a shrink who knew about the supernatural world somewhere…

She shook her head. "Go on…I'm more grounded."

Lorne smiled at her. He knew she was more of a thinker than Lehane, so he would have to get used to the silences during a conversation. "You are. And eventually once you become one person completely you'll find balance…and let me tell you precious that is something most can't achieve…and it's hard to remain so, especially when you have many struggles in your near future, you might want to find a hobby, something to help you ground yourself. But anyway, as long as you stick to your family and let them help you no matter what, and let go of your doubts you'll overcome anything…"

Faith looked confused for a second. "That's a good thing right…so why are you making that I'm-really-worried face?"

Lorne sighed. "I-I sensed something…something powerful. I couldn't tell what or on whose side it is but it wants you to succeed, which is a good thing normally, except that it has plans for you and I have no idea what they are…"

Faith rolled her eyes. "So some big power is playing with my life? They couldn't just show up and say what they want from me instead of subtly manipulating things? It'd be less annoying…. As if I didn't have a lot on my plate right now…" She said frustrated. Is that how Buffy felt all the time? She wondered.

"That's all I know unfortunately." Lorne said looking at her worriedly. He hoped this knowledge didn't make things worse. "But it's not something to worry about yet. You have your family back and they are going to need you, as much as you need them so enjoy being with them and worry about the present."

Faith sighed. "Yeah, you are right. SO, who do you want me to send next?" She asked smiling.

Lorne chuckled. It was good to know she could let it go for now and cheer up. "How about the little prince? I'm sure he's too excited to let anyone else come next anyway."

They looked at Henry and Regina trying to pretend they weren't trying to listen. "Not just him, apparently." Faith smirked at them.

She approached them and tapped Henry on his shoulder. "Your turn monkey."

"YES!" Henry said excitedly before rushing to sit next to Lorne on the couch.

Regina looked at Faith concerned. "What did he say, love? You looked worried there for a second."

Faith shrugged. "Oh, you know. I'm getting better…merging both personalities apparently, but I have to keep my family close so they can help me get better. Oh and some powerful being, he couldn't identify, has plans for me."

Regina tensed. "Plans?" It didn't sound good. Whoever it was better not try anything to hurt her child.

Faith gave her a one armed hug. "Don't worry for now okay? Whatever it is apparently wants me to succeed, not sure at what, but so far it doesn't seem to be a problem."

"You know I'm still going to worry, right?"

"I think the right word here is 'Duh'"

Henry bounced on his seat excitedly. "Did you see something exciting? Am I going to get superpowers like Faith? Do I find her chocolate stash? At least one of them?"

Lorne let out a laugh at the boy's excitement. "Calm down, little prince. I can only tell you if you let me."

Henry smiled guiltily. "Sorry."

"It's alright Sugar rush! I can understand you want to know. I can tell you that something big is going to happen soon though I couldn't see what it was but it brings your family and your blood relatives together for a while."

"Really?" Henry asked seriously now.

Lorne nodded. "Really, you are more important than you think…so don't let yourself feel bad, because you don't have a flashy superpower. You have the most important thing already."

"I do? What is it?"

Lorne tapped Henry's chest with a smile. "A good heart. And many people who would do anything to protect it."

Henry looked a little confused but still smiled widely. And looked at his mom and Faith. "Yeah I do."

Faith kissed her mother's forehead and lightly pushed her in Lorne's direction as Henry moved towards them. "Your turn. Good luck." She said smiling.

Regina looked at her with raised her eyebrows at her. "Am I going to need it?"

Faith just shrugged and watched as Henry hugged their mom when they crossed paths, before rushing to hug Faith as well.

Regina's heart felt full as she watched her children together. She turned back to Lorne and sat next to him. "Should I be worried?"

Lorne chuckled, "Not at all, Majesty. In fact I think on top of having your daughter back the turn of events caused by Faith's return stopped you from relapsing on your road of redemption."

Regina raised her brow asking, "What do you mean?"

"Now I'm not entirely sure but from what I could glimpse. Without the support system of your daughter, your son, and your Sheriff, well you would have stumbled either by an outside force or from internal pain. I couldn't quite tell." He finished with an annoyed look at the vagueness of what he had gotten from the Queen's singing.

"Well what about what you got off of Ms. Swan and me?"

Lorne's face smoothed into a grin before saying, "I think this is something you should find out on your own."

Regina gave a playfully hoity look as she snarked out, "I don't like surprises."

"You'll like this one."

Faith and Henry watched as Emma and Angel talked. Faith could see that Swan was still a little wary of Fang but that just proved to Faith that the Savior could survive when dealing with vamps and demons that were not like Angel and Lorne.

Henry spoke softly, "Faith, I'm ready to come home."

"Are you?" Faith turned her head to look at him, "I want you to be a hundred percent sure about this Monkey."

"I am but I don't want to hurt Emma but I want to come home."

"You know you could just talk to her, Swan seems to be understanding. If you explain that you miss home but would very much like her to be one of your moms then, while there is no sure fire way around her hurting. She would understand."

Henry bit his lower lip as he nodded his head before noticing their mom placing a hand on Emma's shoulder and lightly pushing her towards Lorne.

Emma stood with Angel still rather wary but asking questions, "So are you the only vampire… god a year ago, I just had to deal with the son I put up for adoption talking about fairytales being real. Now on top of my parents being Snow White and Prince Charming, I'm dealing with Vampires."

Angel chuckled, "That bad huh? Well let's put it this way, if a vampire walks up to you run. There aren't many vamps like me. And the only other one, well he died saving the world a couple of days ago." He made a face like his last comment left a bad taste in his mouth.

Regina sauntered over to Angel and Emma. Placing her hand on the Sheriff's should she purred out, "Sheriff Swan, Mr. Lorne would like to speak with you now."

Emma nodded as she fought the shiver that went down her back at the tone Regina had used to address her with.

Lorne looked up with a look of concentration, "Well Herc, you are my last patient of the day."

Emma chuckled, "Herc huh?"

"Fitting given the song, your role as the Savior, and being orphaned and all." With a wave of his hand he brushed off the thought before changing course, "I'm going to be up front with you lovely, you need to be honest with the little prince, because something is going to come back and bite you in the behind."

Emma frowned before asking, "What are you talking about?"

"The real story…all of it. What you kept to yourself…just think about it, or you could lose his trust."

Emma gulped. Oh God…did that mean that if she didn't the truth would come out anyway…but how?...The only ones who knew all of it were her and Ne-…no, no that wasn't possible it's not like he could find Storybrooke…right?

She shook her head…she would have to think about it later. "What did you sense from when Regina and I sang?"

Lorne smiled, "Like I told your Queen. You have to figure that one out yourself, White Knight."

Emma sputtered, "S-she's not m-my Queen."

Lorne smiled. "Sure she is." He said and walked back to the others.

Emma went to follow him, when Henry rushed to her and made her sit down again. "Whoa, kid. What is it?"

Henry opened his mouth for a second but closed again. He looked nervous. "I-I want to go home."

Huh? He wanted to leave already…but why did he look so …oh.

It wasn't the apartment he wanted to go back to. Home…Regina's house. She had seen it coming. Not only was his sister back and he was starting to understand not everything was black and white. But she had heard part of his conversation with Faith…and after seeing the three Mills together she knew she didn't have much time with Henry. That didn't make it hurt less though.

"Oh, I see." Emma cleared her throat. "I thought you would want to."

Henry nodded hesitantly. "I-I just…I miss home. I miss my room, my things…and I miss mom. I know I acted like everything was okay…but everyone said she was evil and…I shouldn't have done that…she's my mom."

Emma forced a smile to her face. "I know Henry. I understand…"

Henry saw right through the smile. "No! I mean…that doesn't mean…I love you, I really do." He said and threw himself at Emma hugging her tightly. "I want you to be my mom too…but I hurt her…I hurt her really bad, and I just-"

Emma hugged him back with all her heart. Of, course he missed Regina…Emma had known this but stupidly helped keep them apart. The worse part of it was that her instincts kept telling her that he was safe with Regina, but she let her head and what others thought get to her. Meanwhile Henry had gone from having his own room, comics, video games, expensive clothes, good food…an amazing house that he'd lived in for ten years, to live in a cramped apartment with three other people and having to share a room with Emma. While everyone talked about how awful his mother was right in front of him, and convinced him that he should stay away from her to be good….

She shouldn't feel bad about him going home. It was the best for him.

But the thought of not seeing him as much as she had gotten used to…

_But he still wants you in his life! He's not leaving you, he loves you._

"I love you too, Henry." She tightened her hold on him. "And I want to be your mom too. I'll visit a lot I promise."

Henry wiped his eyes and smiled at her. "Thank you."

Regina and Faith watched from the other side of the room. They had been discussing Faith's father. Regina had kept some of his things including several journals he'd apparently written for Faith. Regina had planned to give them to faith for her 16th birthday, but had remained in the vault all these years. Now that Faith was back and the subject of Alistair had come up, Regina felt like it was the right time to give them to her daughter…they had agreed to go to the vault together…well poof to the vault together, when Regina noticed Henry throw himself at Emma for a hug. Normally she would have been jealous but it looked like both of them were crying.

"He's coming back." Faith said from behind her.

"Back?"

Faith nodded and put her head on her mom's shoulder. "Home. He's telling her."

Regina gasped and a tear made its way down her face. Faith wiped it away and hugged her. "Hmm. He didn't want to hurt her, so he's telling her he still loves her…you are going to let her visit right? He already loves her, there's no way to keep them apart without hurting him…plus she's not so bad. I know you agree.

Regina sighed. "Faith…"

"Nu-huh, you can't hide it from me…I could smell it this morning…"

"Faith!" Regina exclaimed horrified.

"What? It's not my fault I have enhanced senses. You were happy to see her wearing your shirt, Mama bear…you can't lie to me the dimples won't let you. They are magical."

"Right, well. I have no objection to her seeing him as long as he stays with us…maybe she can have dinner with us some week days. And I suppose she could stay with us for a while…I don't think the town people will react well to him coming back by himself…while I'm the only suspect of Archie's murder…or maybe even after we find the killer."

Faith kissed Regina's cheek. "Don't worry. If they try anything I'll kick their a- I mean their behinds."

Regina chuckled at Faith near slip. "I don't want you to get in trouble, love."

"I won't. But there will be no more angry mobs, or they'll meet an angry slayer. Oh here they come." She pointed in Henry and Swan's direction. "Go ahead and invite her to Mills Inn."

Regina rolled her eyes at her daughter and turned to face Emma and Henry. "Miss Swan, I was talking to Faith and we agree that if Henry is coming back home, the town's people might be opposed while I'm still a suspect of Dr. Hopper's death, so we thought it would be prudent if you stayed at the house until we capture the real killer…"

She had barely finished when Henry slammed in to her in a tight hug. "Thank you!"

Regina smiled at him and kissed his forehead. "You're welcome, monkey." She whispered in his ear. It felt wonderful to call him that again, and by the way Henry smiled at her, he agreed.

Emma blinked. Did Regina just? Sure she said only until they found Archie's killer, but still… "I-I yes, sure." She said smiling. "Uh-I guess Henry and I will have to go back to the apartment to pack first."

"Great! So why don't you do that right now? Mom and I can take Angel and Lorne back to the house…and then we have some things do…"

"That seems like a good idea." Regina said before waving her hand at Faith's bags making them disappear in a cloud of smoke. "Afterwards I promised Faith to go get some of her father's things…so we might take a while."

Emma nodded. "That's okay. We'll meet you at your house then?"

* * *

A cloud of purple slowly faded leaving the mother and daughter standing next to a coffin. The two had taken Angel and Lorne to their house and helped them settle. Lorne in one of the guest rooms upstairs and Angel in the game room in the basement. It was almost like a small apartment, since Regina added a bedroom and bathroom thanks to Faith and Henry falling asleep down there often. And Angel could keep his blood in the fridge by the juice bar.

"Whoa, I still can't believe how cool this poofing thing is!" Faith said excitedly.

Regina sighed. "I really wished you wouldn't call it that."

"But that's what it looks like…you know." Faith tried to explain with her hands. "Poof!"

Regina didn't know if she should laugh or sigh. Instead she just hugged her daughter tightly, she would never get tired of that. "I love you, my firecracker…"

Faith let out a sob against her mother's neck. It felt so much more real when it was her mother saying it. "I love you too, mama."

They smiled at each other and turned to face the coffin. "Hey grandpa, sorry I haven't visited for so long. But I'm back now, and I'm never leaving mom again."

* * *

"So, Angel-cakes…are you ready?" Lorne asked with a wince. He wasn't looking forward to this.

Angel put his hands and his pockets and started fidgeting. "I guess…"

"Well, then which one did you choose?"

Angel looked at him pleadingly. "Do I have to?"

Lorne crossed his arms and gave him a look.

"Ugh…fine. Copacabana."

* * *

Henry and Emma walked down the street hand in hand.

"Okay, so when we get to the apartment I want you to go pack, while I talk with David and M-Snow, okay?" Emma told Henry as they saw the apartment building.

Henry frowned. "They won't like it, will they?"

Emma stopped and turned him to look at her with a grimace. "Uh…no kid. I don't think they will."

The worried look on the kid's face made Emma's heart clench. "Y-you don't think they'll do something to try and keep me from going home…right?"

Emma frowned and shook her head. "No. They might try to change our minds but it's what you want and I agree. And ultimately I'm your parent not them, so it's not their decision."

"I just don't want to hurt them either…"

"I know, kid. I know."

* * *

"Wow…mom. This place is awesome."

Regina chuckled. "You sound like Henry, love."

Faith shook her head and put her hands on her hips. "Nope. You got it wrong mom. Monkey sounds like me." She said pointing at herself.

"Ah, right. You taught him how to be smooth." Regina asked with a raised eyebrow.

"…Well, yeah."

"And who is it that taught you, again?"

Faith pouted. "Okay, fine. I learned from the best and passed on the lesson…it doesn't matter. I'm still the smoothest."

Regina smiled and put one hand around her daughter's shoulder, guiding her to the next room. "Unless of course; Ruby is around."

"Mom!"

Regina just smiled innocently at her.

Faith just rolled her eyes, and then frowned. "Uh…mom. Do you have eh…hearts here?"

Regina winced at the reminder of her past. She didn't want her children to see that part of herself. "I-I yes. Most of them I took from mother after I banished her. But…"

Faith nodded in acknowledgement. "But the others you took. It's okay mom, I understand…but you haven't used them or taken anymore-

"I killed Graham…"

Faith cleared her throat. Well damn. "I see…what happened?"

Regina's head snapped in Faith direction. A part of her expected Faith to be disgusted with her and leave. She should have known better. "I-I when Emma showed up Graham took an interest in her…he left me I felt betrayed…it seem like everyone was leaving…you, Henry…and then after a fight with Emma I just took Graham's heart…I wanted him to feel pain…but I ended up…"

"Killing him…I understand. Sometimes it's too much and when we stop lashing out it's too late to take it back. But mom, you don't have to lash out anymore…you're not alone. I know what it's like the whole redemption thing. I'll help you like Angel helped me…we'll walk the road together." Faith said caressing her mom's face. "So, how about we find what we were looking for?"

Regina kissed her cheek and walked them towards a mirror. "This way, love." And she waved a hand allowing them to pass through the mirror.

"Oh my God…mom, I'd forgotten how…uh revealing your dresses were." Faith said staring at the racks of Fairytale Land dresses. Very low cut dresses. "Hey! Is that the armor dress thing you were wearing when…?"

Regina nodded. "Well I have the right assets to wear them dear…and yes, that's the one I was wearing when I found you…and no you can't wear it it's too revealing."

Faith snorted. "Hypocrite." She said teasingly.

"And proud of it, love." Regina gave her a wink before signaling them to move to the next room. "Besides…if you want armor…you might as well forge it yourself."

Faith gasped. "No way…mom? Did you?" And she rushed into the room.

Regina followed after her.

"You brought his forge here…" Faith said crying. And launched herself into her mother's arms. "For me?"

"Of course, my firecracker." She said kissing Faith's hair lovingly. "He would have wanted you to have it. There's several journals as well. He wrote those for you…in case you wanted to keep learning…"

"Where?"

Regina led her to a chest. She opened it and took out an old journal. "Here my dear. I'm guessing you do want to use the forge?"

"Yes, he was teaching me back then. We were at the market getting some materials from a merchant friend of his…when." Faith cleared her throat. She didn't want to keep thinking about that. "Anyway yeah…Lorne did say I needed a hobby to help ground myself. This is probably what he meant."

Regina ran her hand through Faith's hair. "Is he very accurate with his predictions?"

Faith nodded. "Yeah, that's what Angel said. Even though he doesn't always see everything clearly, he gets strong feelings and offers advice."

Regina nodded. "Well, then." And she waved her hand making the forge disappear. "It's at home now, love. Do you want to go back or…?"

"Let me just read a little before we leave…just keep holding me okay?"

"Always."

They spend almost an hour holding each other, reading a father's final gift to his child.

"Mom? Hello? Hello? Hello? Mom?" They heard Henry's voice come from outside.

Faith chuckled. "Guess he couldn't resist…"

"Are you okay?"

Faith nodded standing up and extending a hand to help her mom. "Yeah, why don't you go let him in, while I fix my make up, I don't want him to see me crying."

"Alright, love. I'll be right back."

"You in there? Can I come in? Mom?" Came Henry's voice again.

Regina left the room in search of her other child. They had been here a while but she'd thought it would have taken longer for Emma and Henry to pack…then again maybe he just left Emma packing while he came here.

Regina opened the door to the secret room.

"Mom? Mom?"

Henry rushed to embrace Regina.

"Henry. What are you doing here? I thought you were with Emma."

Henry stepped back and shook his head. "I could never choose her over you. I know you didn't kill Archie."

…What? But didn't he alrea-…oh.

Oh No. This wasn't Henry. But who? Suddenly her heart gave a lurch. How could she have not seen it? She asked herself as fear began to take over. Her body started to tremble.

Oh No, no, no, no.

Not now. Not when she was finally getting back her family…now that Faith...

Panic took over her mind and body. Faith was in the next room. Her child was in the next room and Regina only just got her back! Memories of Daniel's death flashed before her eyes, before his dead body was replaced by her daughter's.

"A-and how do you know that?" She asked hoping that it was a mistake, that maybe Henry was just confused…

Henry smiled. "Simple." And a cloud of smoke surrounded him, confirming Regina's worst fear.

"Because I did it."

Regina took a step back. Her mind trying to come up with ways to get her child to safety.

"Mother…"


	9. Chapter 9

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> _**AN:** Hi everyone! How do you like the story so far? Things are starting to get more complicated, especially now that Cora is here!_
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> _What will happen now!?_
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> _Will she convince Regina to switch sides? Or will she get a big surprise?_
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> _We really hope you like the answer to that question ;)_
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> * * *

The apartment door opened slowly.

Emma knew she had to talk to Mary-Margaret and David, but a part of her wished she could just grab their things and go.

"Ma-Snow? David?" She called out to them. It seemed the place was empty, which only made the temptation of leaving without telling them harder to ignore. Still, she knew doing so would hurt and anger both of them…and maybe make them jump to conclusions and show up at Regina's to rescue them. Hell for all she knew they could try to rescue them anyway. Thank God she had her gun, and taken David's.

She turned to Henry who was standing by the door. "Alright, kid. Let's go upstairs and start packing our things, I want us to have everything done before Snow and David show up."

Henry looked at her. "We are going to tell them, we are going right?"

Emma nodded. "Of course, kid. I just want to make sure that if worse comes to worst we can grab our bags and run like hell."

Henry rolled his eyes at her. "How old are you again?"

Emma raised her eyebrows. "You really want to risk them trying to stop us?"

Henry paused. True he had been worried they would try to stop them, but it was still Snow White and Prince Charming. Surely they wouldn't force him to stay…then again he had learned a lot of things in the last few hours, including that been good wasn't the same as being right, and wrong things could be done for the right reasons or because you didn't know the whole story…besides for the first time he started to consider the fact that fairytale characters were from a medieval setting. Normally he wouldn't necessarily associate that with a bad thing, but he remembered being bored once and finding himself in Faith's room and reading one of her old school books, it mentioned medieval times and some very gory things that happened back then, and if the Enchanted Forest was anything like that…well he had seen the angry mob that had come after his mom…He couldn't believe he hadn't thought about all this before, but with all the recent revelations…

"Good, point!" And he rushed up the stairs.

Emma sighed and followed after him.

It didn't take them long to pack everything. Emma didn't have that much in the first place, and Henry had most of his things back at the manor. Due to the lack of space he had only taken his school clothes, a few pants and several shirts and sweaters. Nowhere near to his closet back home.

They took their thing downstairs and stood facing each other.

"Eh…so now what?"

Emma shrugged. "I guess we wait?"

They didn't have to wait long as the door opened and Snow and David entered the apartment. "Oh, you are finally back! Sorry, we were talking to that girl Willow and her friends." She said while taking off her coat. "She explained some of the things that happened to all those poor girls…and Faith."

Emma and Henry made eye contact, unsure if they should be worried about whatever the scoobies had told Snow and David. "Oh…they did? What did they tell you?" Asked Emma.

"Oh well, she said the council…wait w-what's with all those bags?" The Charmings asked after finally turning in their direction.

Emma and Henry kept looking at each other as if trying to make the other talk first. Finally Emma sighed after he gave her a frown identical to Regina's.

"Uh…well." She said lamely and cleared her throat uncomfortably. "Henry's going back home…"

David chuckled nervously. "Home? But he is home…"

Emma shook her head. She had finally understood that she couldn't just assume the role of mother and change the place her son called home, just like she was finally realizing that neither could her parents completely change the way she lived her life…she would have to think more about this realization, maybe while having a drink. But for now, making sure she got Henry home took priority.

"No, it isn't. His home is the place he lived in all his life…not here in a cramped apartment where he's forced to share a room and a bed with one of his moms."

Snow shook her head desperately. "No, no. If space is the problem we can find a way, we can find a bigger place-" she was interrupted by Emma.

"It's not about space, it's about him being with his family."

David raised his voice. "We are his family!"

"No, we are not! We are blood relatives at best. Regina and Faith are his family." Emma said trying to make them see the difference only recently she had finally understood.

"No they are not! They are evil, they don't deserve him. I won't allow this." Maybe it was his fear, maybe he truly believed this, maybe he was been unreasonable.

It fucking pissed Emma off. Didn't they see Henry's stricken face? How upsetting it was for him to hear his 'grandparents' say something like this. He had worried Snow and David would try to keep him from his family. And it seemed like it was happening.

Well Emma wouldn't let that happen.

"I'm sorry? Did you say you won't allow it?" She glared at them. "What makes you think it's your decision?"

David went to open his mouth but Emma's glared and her raised hand stopped him. "No. You don't get to show up after so many years and force a new reality on him. Henry WANTS to go home to his real family. And if you are so insistent that blood is all that matters then by that logic since I'm his mother I make the decisions concerning him, NOT you. He wants Regina and Faith and I will get him to them. I'm not asking your permission, the bags are already packed for a reason. I'm an adult. You can't try to parent me and make decisions for me. Henry chose to go home and I agree with his reasons…and you know what?" Emma glared at them and hugged Henry to her.

"If you ever talk that way about his family in front of him again…we are going to have problems."

David and Snow finally looked at Henry's teary eyes and upset face.

"I'm going to stay with them until we find Archie's murderer. Come on kid, grab your bags. We are leaving now." Emma said and move towards the door, Henry following behind.

It felt horrible to do this, but she was finally finding herself again.

Who would have thought Henry's long lost sister's return would open Emma's eyes like this in just a few hours…not just her really. But Faith wasn't afraid of being blunt. And her belief in family, chosen family over blood…and that question she asked Emma about letting other people's thoughts make he doubt her instincts, doubt herself… it had reminded Emma of… well Emma. She had gotten so caught up on having her parents back and being afraid of them leaving her like all those foster parents did before, that she'd let them change her…let them influence her decisions in a way no parent should their adult child.

Maybe it was time to bring Emma Swan back. She just hoped they wouldn't prove her right and be just like the others.

But even if they were, well she was a mother now…or she wanted to be, anyway. And for that she had to put Henry first. His happiness was more important that her insecurities. And now that finally Regina seemed willing to let her spend time with Henry. Well there was no reason to keep him from home. She should have listened to her gut in the first place. When it told her to trust Regina.

She only hoped that the other woman could forgive her eventually.

Just as she reached the door Snow made one last attempt. "But, even with all that's happened Regina still could have done it! How can you risk it!?"

Emma shook her head in defeat. She probably wouldn't be able to change their minds even if Archie came back from death and told them it wasn't Regina. Emma opened the door and took one step before nearly crashing into…

"Archie?"

* * *

Regina stared at her mother, trying very hard to keep the terror she was feeling from her face. She needed to do something to keep her mother away from Faith…distract her, make her think her plan, because it now made absolute sense what her mother had wanted to accomplish by framing her for the cricket's death, worked like she wanted.

Maybe if she went along with it and played the broken little girl, she could get her mother away from this place…away from Faith.

"You… I thought we stopped you. How did you get through?"

Cora went on about how she needed to see her, how she understood why Regina banished her, how she loved her and regretted making her marry the King. And goodness, Regina wanted so much to believe her, to finally have her mother showing her love…

…but she just couldn't risk it.

If she let herself believe…if she let herself believe and it was a lie Faith and Henry could pay the price. She had finally gotten her family back and as much as she wanted her mother to be a part of that…well Regina wasn't the same person Cora had known. She was older, stronger, no longer a scared child…Cora's plan had failed. Maybe if it had worked Regina would have believed her…but Lorne's warning about stumbling on her attempt at redemption resonated in her mind, reinforcing her belief that her mother was lying.

She wouldn't risk Faith or Henry…Right now Regina wasn't the lost child she used to be, or the Queen of nothing, or even the Evil Queen.

She was a mother and her children came first. They were more important than her longing for Cora's love.

"You wanted me broken."

"Receptive…"

Regina shook her head. "

"You are the most manipulative… No. I won't even argue. Come with me. We're going to town." Away from her child, and then…well Regina didn't know but if she had to sacrifice herself to keep her mother away from her family she would.

"Are you sure, dear? They might not be very receptive…" Cora tried to reason with her.

Regina frowned at her. She really hoped this worked. She would get her mother out of the vault and try to catch her of guard… "I don't care, well talk to the-"

Regina was interrupted by the sound of footsteps coming their way. Cora turned to look in the direction of the door, realizing they weren't alone in the vault.

No, no, no…

Faith entered the room. "Hey, where's monkey?" Faith asked before stopping in her tracks looking at the scene before her. Henry was nowhere to be seen and this strange woman was talking with her mom, who looked… terrified?

Faith body tensed. "Who's this?"

* * *

Archie Hopper. The man whose murder Emma was supposed to be investigating was standing right in front of them his hand rose to knock on the door.

Henry dropped his bags and launched himself at the man. "Archie!" This was great! Archie was alive, that meant they couldn't keep blaming his mom. And his friend was alive!

Archie returned the hug and looked up to find three very shocked pair of eyes.

Emma snapped out of it first. "Archie, what happened? We thought you were dead!" She made locked eyes with her parents for a few seconds, her expression sending a clear message. _I told you so._ Before looking back at Archie.

He shook his head. "No, I'm fine. It was Cora. She kidnapped me."

Emma and Henry made eye contact. This wasn't good. This wasn't good at all. If Cora was back and went to all this trouble of framing Regina then…

Regina and Faith were in danger!

Henry's eyes widened in panic. "We need to tell mom!"

* * *

Regina was terrified of what could happen now. She had told Faith about her mother before. She really hopped Faith didn't try something stupid to defend her. "Faith, love…this is my mother…Cora."

Faith locked eyes with her mom. A silent warning was sent her way. Cora huh? No wonder her mom was so scared. If what she'd heard about her 'grandmother' was true…well, they were in trouble.

Unfortunately for them, Cora had noticed the horror on Regina's face and the way she referred to this stranger.

Interesting.

She had thought it was the blonde Savior.

"Well, I guess you are not alone after all." Cora said with a fake smile. She could attack or keep playing the game… "Hello, dear…and how do you know my daughter?"

Regina's breath increased as her mother took a step in Faith's direction. Her mind replaying Daniel's heart being crushed. Her mother's voice telling her over and over that love is weakness…

"Yeah, you know what…how about you stay, right where you are? You feel off lady and not in a good way…" Faith said glaring at the woman.

Cora put a hand over her chest in indignation. "My, how rude…truly Regina, must you always find the uneducated ones? I was only curious about my daughter's friend there was no need for such hostility."

Faith noticed her mother was still paralyzed. She really hoped, she wasn't believing what Cora was saying. "Don't believe her…I can feel malicious intent rolling off of her, and I'm never wrong about that. All my senses are screaming danger."

Cora glared at her. Well…she did try. Time to reinforce the lesson on love. "Oh, please. Why would I be dangerous to you dear?" She asked mockingly moving in Faith's direction. There was something odd about this girl. Regardless of the reason Cora wouldn't allow her ruin her plans…

Regina snapped.

A sudden cloud of purple appeared between Cora and Faith. "NO! Stay away from her!" Regina screamed sending a blast of magic in Cora's direction catching her off guard. Her mother went flying barely having time to poof before she hit the wall.

"Regina!" Cora screamed furiously at her daughter. "How dare you!?"

Regina sneered at her from her place in front of Faith. She would not allow her mother to take her child from her. "You will NOT have her, mother! I'd rather die than let you touch her." Regina said ferociously. There was a reason Faith had taken to call her mama bear.

Snow's men had learned that first hand, as had the Pied Piper's Storybrooke incarnation when she had caught him spying on her baby. Not even her mother would hurt her children as long as Regina drew breath.

"So you would choose this…girl over me? Then so be it! We could have joined our power but now you will feel mine!"

Faith watched enthralled as her mother battled Cora. Cora would throw a fireball and Regina would counter with her own, Regina would launch knives and other pointy weapons and Cora would send them back at her.

"You have no idea what kind of mistake you are making child!" Cora exclaimed sending a series of dark spells at her daughter.

Regina raised her hand and creating a shield then sending her own spell at Cora. "You are the one who made a mistake in threatening my family…you've been gone too long mother! I'm no longer a child!"

Cora laughed mockingly. "Of course you are, otherwise you would have learned the lesson I tried so hard to teach you! LOVE IS WEAKNESS!" Cora screamed and threw a spell in Faith's direction.

"NO!"

Faith moved with supernatural speed and used one of the discarded swords to bat away the spell back at Cora, who waved he hand to deflect the spell and barely had time to stop a flying knife an inch away from her face. Surprised and furious she used her magic to send the knife back at Faith and was stunned when the girl caught it in midair as if it was a feather in the wind and smirked at Cora.

Who was this girl?

Regina took advantage of her mother's distraction to blast her further away from Faith. "Are you alright, love?"

"I'm fine, not even a scratch."

Cora stood up cackling madly. "Well, no wonder you chose this one over the blonde savior, she's a magnificent creature and definitely not helpless…not that it matters in the end I-"

She was interrupted by Faith's laughter. "Oh God mom she thinks! Sorry, but you've got it wrong grandma. Though we have to agree on her attraction to blondes."

Cora glared at Faith. Wait…mom? Grandma? So she had been wrong…even better. If she gained control of the child, the obviously powerful child…she could control Regina.

Cora took advantage of Faith distraction and disappeared with a cloud of smoke, materializing behind the girl who turned around incredibly fast, but not fast enough to stop Cora's hand from burying itself in her chest.

"NO! FAITH!" Regina screamed rushing to them in an attempt to stop her mother.

But for Faith and Cora time seemed to slow down as they made eye contact. The moment Cora attempts to pull her heart out…time stopped.

* * *

Cora's senses were assaulted by an ominous feeling.

Something was wrong…

She looked at her surroundings trying to pull her hand away from the girl. She realized she was no longer at Regina's vault. Somehow, without her noticing, they had been transported to what seemed like a graveyard. When her eye returned to the girl she now knew to be her granddaughter, she was shocked.

It was no longer the same person.

It was a blonde girl holding Cora's wrist in a crushing grip. Cara winced in pain when the girl threw her against a mausoleum wall. Furious Cora attempted to use magic on the girl only to realize she had no magic.

She was powerless…

The blonde girl approached her menacingly; in her hands was a wicked looking knife. Cora feared for her life for the first time in a very long time. She tried to run but the girl grabbed her and pinned her to the wall…her eyes were shifting between green and golden colors.

"Now you'll have matching scars…it'll be like a family thing." The girl smiled at Cora before stabbing her. Cora's mouth opened in a silent scream. The girl twisted the knife.

Suddenly Cora was on the ground clutching at her wounded stomach. The rain made it difficult to see anything. There was no sign of the girl…

Cora got off the ground and looked around. A sudden sound made her turn in the direction of a group of trees…she heard some kind of animal growl. She still couldn't feel her magic. Worried for her safety Cora turned to run in a different direction and found that the graveyard was gone.

She was in a forest.

The sound of growling was getting closer. Cora ran something was hunting her. She kept running for what felt like hours, her dress torn everywhere cuts and scratches adorning her skin. She looked behind her to make sure the beast had not caught up with her, and didn't see the young woman in her path.

Cora crashed into a body and went tumbling to the ground.

Standing in front of her was another young woman. This time it was a dark skinned girl looking at her indifferently. "You can't win dis time. You tink you have power…you don't." And she grabbed Cora by the throat lifting her from the ground until her feet no longer touched it.

"We are power." The girl's shifted from brown to black then to the golden color like the blonde's before. "'Tis in our blood, in our rage, in our emotions…they thought it should be suppressed…like you, to avoid weakness…but dis emptiness is weakness. You cannot feel the power, the passion in your veins, under your skin…no fire."

Her hold on Cora's neck tightened. "No life."

The sound of a neck snapping echoed through the forest.

Cora woke up in panic, her hands went to her neck to make sure there was no damage. She looked at her surroundings, she was in a strange place. A home perhaps? Too small for royalty, but too big and comfortable for peasants. She was on a soft bed, her dress was gone and she was wearing a strange sleeping gown. It didn't cover much.

"How are ya feelin' grams? Still in pain?"

Cora looked in the direction of the door. There was who she recognized as her granddaughter. She looked different…younger. The smile on her face didn't reassure Cora…it reminded her too much of…her own…

"Faith, right?" She asked cautiously.

Faith smirked. "That's me. Faith…though not the one you think… I'm not a fucking pussy, for one thing."

Cora winced at the language.

"She thinks, just because she's got a family now, she can forget about me. And you know what?" She asked walking menacingly towards Cora. "It fucking pisses me off!" She snarled at her, her eyes not shifting, but becoming completely black. "I need something to help me relax…how about we play a game? It's simple…I use this on you…" She said wickedly showing Cora the same knife the blonde girl had used to stab her. "And you scream…"

And with that Faith pinned Cora to the bed and straddled her. "Oh…look we match!" Faith exclaimed lifting her top and showing a terrified Cora a still bleeding stab wound. "Let's see if you look better with more of these."

Faith used the knife. Over and over. Cora screamed each time.

The next time she opened her eyes Cora was look at her granddaughter again. She backpedaled into a wall hoping to keep distance.

"Don't worry I didn't bring the knife this time…I'm not into the stabbing anymore…unless you are a demon. Which I can see you're not…"

Cora calmed down enough to realize that Faith looked older again. Calmer even.

"I'm still not the one you think…but I'm not the crazy one either." She walked over to Cora and knelt beside her.

"Who…who are you then?"

Faith smiled and for once Cora didn't feel threatened. "I'm trying to be better…you could too…but you are missing something."

Cora laughed. "I am."

"You should get it back…might keep you alive."

Cora shook her head. "I don't want it back…it'll make me weak."

Faith sighed. "You are already weak…but you think you are strong. You're not. I'm not her…but I do know what you've done. Some of those things have been done to me…real or not. I'm not sure I should let you live."

Cora gulped.

Faith pulled out a wooden stake. "Nothing I can do to you…nothing they've done to you, can compare to what she will do if you hurt them…" and she stabbed Cora's chest. "This one won't kill you…but I bet it hurts like a bitch, doesn't it?"

Cora struggled to remain conscious. For some reason this slow loss of consciousness was more terrifying than being stabbed over and over or feeling her neck snap under impossible force. Unlike the previous times she could feel death slowly taking hold of her.

" _Wake up."_

Cora opened her eyes again to find herself standing in the middle of a desert.

" _It's more than you can comprehend."_

Cora turned around trying to find the source of the voice.

She found herself face to face with her dead husband. The younger, handsome version, before her spells took their toll on him. "Henry. What are you doing here?"

Henry smiled charmingly at her. "I speak for her…"

"Her?"

He nodded. "Yes, but first I wish to speak for myself."

Cora laughed. "And what pray tell do you wish to say? How pathetically in love you were?"

Henry smiled. "Yes. And it made me vulnerable to your magic…but you still have to pay the price. Had you kept your heart, you might have seen it, felt it. But now I'm gone and you will have to find another. He's closer than you think. I'll help you build something with him…it'll be my gift for the first few years."

Cora rolled her eyes. "What? Another? You still believe you were my true love? Ha! Even after death you are still so naive and you had to pass it on to Regina of course. You are the reason she's so pathetic!"

Henry looked at her sadly. "If only you knew…but you will soon."

Cora felt a presence behind her. She turned in a hurry to find what seemed like a wild woman, dressed in rags and covered in paint. Cora sneered at her disgusted.

"You still think you have power…you've felt terror and yet you insist. You are nothing."

She turned back to Henry outraged. She was about to open her mouth when she noticed his vacant expression. Henry was gone…of course. The savage could not talk, she was using Henry somehow.

"You try to control what cannot be controlled. You wrap your hand around our heart but can't see how weak and worthless you are before us."

The savaged closed in on Cora. She stepped back in fear until her back hit Henry. Except it was not him. Hands grabbed her by the arms and turned her to face… Faith.

Again.

"You hurt my mother. You could not feel it but that's meaningless to me." Her grip on Cora's arms tightened painfully. "She loves you still, but you'll only bring her pain…I'm not going to let you."

Ah so this was her granddaughter finally. The look in her eyes matching the girl whose heart she tried to take.

"Yes, I am the one this time, grandma. Don't feel relieved though. I'm the one who will destroy you if you bring her harm…I'm the one you should fear…even more than her." Faith said nodding in the direction of the savage, who looked annoyed?

Faith chuckled. "She wants me to give you this speech about power and how we are the ones who have it…blah blah. It doesn't matter, not really. Because you already know who has the power…you can feel it. There's no need to remind you…you can't stop thinking about it. Don't worry I won't kill you…here. But once we are back outside and you even think about hurting her…you WILL feel how powerless you are as I make you wish for death."

With that Faith pushed her and sent her flying several feet. When the pain of the impact against the ground passed, Cora found herself under the savage, unable to move as she smiled fiercely at Cora and raised a red axe above her head.

The last thing Cora saw was the blade of the axe descending towards her neck. Then she was back at the beginning dying time and time again until all she could feel was pain.

* * *

Cora gasped as she found herself back at the vault. Had it all been an illusion? She looked back at the girl whose heart she was holding and let out a terrified whimper.

The white of her eyes was black, and the formerly brown iris was glowing golden.

Cora cried out in pain as the girl snapped her wrist, causing her to let go of the heart and then pushed Cora sending her crashing against the floor. Cora backed away from Faith, cradling her hand.

"What the hell are you!?" She asked before disappearing in a cloud of smoke.

"Faith?" Regina asked worriedly from where she stood a couple of feet away from her daughter. She had tried to reach her to save her from her mother, only for Faith to save herself and send Cora running terrified.

What had happened?

She gasped as Faith turned to face her. Her eyes, black and golden…inhuman.

Regina shakily approached her child. "Faith? Love?" She asked again worried that whatever was happening had hurt her. Was this the slayer? The demon those men had used to create their warrior?

Faith blinked at Regina's question. As if unsure of what to do next…

Regina raised her hand to Faith's cheek gently. If her child as still there she would make sure she felt her love. "Faith, love. Please come back to me…"

"M-mama…" Faith said in recognition. Her eyes slowly returning to their original brown color. "Mom?"

Regina sighed in relief. Her arms wrapped around Faith's body. "Oh, my sweet child. I was so scared…I thought I was going to lose you…" She said crying into her daughter's hair.

Faith returned the embrace. "I'm fine…I'm fine mom."

Regina pulled away and tenderly grabbed Faith's face with both hands. "What happened? I've never seen my mother so scared before…I don't think I've ever seen her scared at all."

"I don't think the Slayer liked someone trying to control her."

* * *

The little yellow bug roared into the driveway of 108 Miffin Street. Emma cut the engine just as Henry shoved his door opened with more force than the bug could take but Emma wasn't caring much what with knowing Cora was in Storybrooke and that Archie was in fact alive. They both knew this was something that both Faith and Regina needed to know.

Henry got to the front door, swiped the spar key and unlocked the house before bursting through the front door with Emma on his heels.

"Mom! Faith!"

The two ran towards the study to find Regina pacing and running her hands through her hair as Faith sat on the couch just rubbing at her chest.

Regina turned to the door and spoke in time with Emma, "Cora is here."

Emma blinked, "You know?"

Regina nodded, "She came to the vault disguised as Henry." Walking over to her son she wrapped her arms around him, "She was trying to get me to join her."

Henry hugged back, "What happened? Why is Faith rubbing at her chest?"

Faith answered, "Grandma showed up. Tried to talk mama bear into working with her before I entered, she said something like 'Love is Weakness'. Thought I was mom's lover before learning I was her daughter. Big fight, then she tried to take my heart."

Emma rubbed at her own chest as she asked, "You too?"

Regina started, "What do you mean 'you too'?"

Emma shrugged, "Your mother, tried to take my heart before Mar-Snow and I came through the portal. She reached in pulled three times before being blasted back." Turning away from Regina, Emma asked Faith, "So how did you not lose your heart?"

Faith replied, "The Slayer doesn't like to be controlled. How about you?"

"I'm not completely sure could be because I'm the Savior or the product of True Love, or something completely different." Shaking her head, Emma added, "Well there is some good news in all this."

Regina snipped, "What could possibly be good news about my mother trying and failing to take both yours and Faith's hearts?"

Emma smiled sheepishly, "Well Archie's alive. So that's how Henry and I learned about your mother being here."

* * *

"I don't understand! This had never happened before, and then the Savior and my own granddaughter!"

Cora paced the ship's deck, furious at her failure in taking her granddaughter's heart. Furious at herself for showing fear in from of Regina and her child.

Weakness.

Cora was NOT weak. Whatever her granddaughter was, Cora would teach her a lesson. And then she would make her use her power as Cora saw fit.

Hook smirked from his place by the railing. "Maybe you were nervous." He had to admit watching Cora so out of sorts was fun. Whoever she was, he definitely wanted to meet this granddaughter of hers.

Cora kept pacing barely giving him a look. "Everything was fine when I put my hand in her chest, but then it all changed!" Literally. She had found herself in a completely different place…she would have suspected an illusion, but it had felt too real and her body was full of scars she had to heal along with her broken wrist.

Hook could barely conceal his mirth. "Don't you think, love. That maybe you're trying too hard?"

Cora glared at him. "What the hell are you talking about?" He better be very careful with his next words, Cora was in no mood to deal with his…jokes.

"I mean, this must happen to other witches as well all the time…" Oh yeah, whatever pain she inflicted on him would be worth the look on Cora's face. At least he knew for sure she wouldn't crush his heart. She needed his help with the crocodile, since the Queen wasn't with them.

Cora used magic to pull him to her and pin him to the mast of the ship. "Not to me, it doesn't!"

A little nervous now but still willing to push Hook smirked at Cora. "Oh come on, luv. It's normal, with your age-" He was interrupted by a furious Cora pushing her hand into his chest and nearly crushing his heart.

"You are older than I am!" She kept applying pressure and watched him convulse in pain.

"Not physically. So it's okay to have some performance anxiety- argh!"

"I DO NOT HAVE PERFORMANCE ANXIETY!" Her hold on his heart tightened so much that Hook started to worry she might kill him after all. "I can take any heart I wish to, and if you continue this nonsense it might as well be yours!" She yelled at him before letting go.

Hook fell to the floor. "Don't worry; I'll keep my mouth shut." He said, still smirking. He wouldn't say anything about how she didn't take his heart at all, not even to show it to him as proof of her claim. No, he would keep that to himself.

"Get ready. Until I know what my granddaughter is, we will concentrate on your crocodile." Cora said dismissively before disappearing in a cloud of smoke.


End file.
